The Wizard of Oz, Garylee, and Me

    I have another new birdie to write about!  Before I do that, though, I want to mention that I got to see Garylee and his family at church this past Sunday.  I had an epiphany (sort of) about the two of us right there in the pew.  Last year at this time, I had just received my “new brain.”  I was able to come home on the Friday before the 4th of July.  Independence Day was on a Monday last year.  Garylee recently received his new heart, so that made me think of the movie The Wizard of Oz...

 
    In this scenario, I am the Scarecrow and Garylee is the Tin Man.  There is no lion.  We were both brave enough to be the lion, so no lion.  It’s my epiphany, so that’s how I’m choosing to write about it (wink wink).     
    Anyway, I thought it quite ironic that I thought of this at church in the presence of God, although we are always in the presence of God, but at church, especially in the Eucharist, we are much closer to God, about as close as one can get to Him here on earth. 
    Garylee and his family are here to visit; they traveled here on Sunday.  His father, Gary, might stay and work for our school district again.  He is looking and hoping to get a job.  California is their new home now, but they came back to Aztec, their home for many years, so many years that this fully grown young man, Garylee, used to be a third grader in my class. 
    With Garylee coming back home on Sunday and my coming back home a year ago at about this same time, I thought of the one of the most famous lines from the Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like home.”
    I had a post all about my new Independence Day on my Caring Bridge site last year.  Here is the link: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/patrickswope/journal/6
    This year, I am fully independent, and there is no place better to be fully independent than at home.  I played golf yesterday and today at my home course, Hidden Valley. I played volleyball on our home court in the Lillywhite Gym yesterday.  I am writing this post with relative ease right now outside the front doors of our home.  None of this would have been possible last year.  Happy 4th of July!