I Don't Wish Migraines or Sinus Headaches on Anyone. I Guess I Should Have Known the Rain Would Bring One On

As a kid, I missed school often because of migraines. As I got older, I got on top of them, but then the Ohio Valley introduced me to the crud, sinuses, allergies, and absolute misery. Honestly, one of the reasons I wanted to leave there was because of that mess. There is nothing like a headache in Kentuckiana. They are the worst and they come out of nowhere. I remember Jean Wolph microwaving a wet towel for me during the summer institute and placing it on my head. She simply said, "this is what I do when they hit me. They re horrible"

Just move that red spot in between my eyes and at each ear. The pain comes in stereo and there's no way to sleep. I was up at 4. By 5 I took a hot shower to try to unclog anything possible, and by 8 I was throwing up. Happy Happy. Joy Joy. 

I then slept until 12:30, before the guilt kicked in that I lost so many hours in the morning. Outside, with trees bursting with pollen, the rains came and the temperatures dropped. I sleep with my windows and I imagine molecular tree spooge entered my nostrils to plug everything up. There's that, and my colleagues and I are now coming to the conclusion that we're simply exhausted. This past year has been a lot, and the juggling of knowing and not knowing, pressure to maintain our normal excellence, and wackiness of the world simply weighs on our minds. I close my eyes, but can't stop all the thinking from spinning, and spinning, and spinning.

Thank the Great Whatever I studied yoga with individuals who helped me to talk the migraine down. They really are the worst.

Ah, but when I awoke, I was ready for the #verselove prompt of the day. I knew I was visiting with writer Chris Crutcher at night, and was recalling how much I loved teaching his books at the Brown School. He's the first writer I ever read that showed that quirky, real personalities can tell stories, too. A Brief Moment in the Life of August Bethune will stay with me forever: that voice, that story, that humor, and that impact. So, I reflected on my Crutcher library and wrote a poem (doing the title last...as that was the assignment).