Personal Reflections

Crash #5: Excruciating Pain & Oceans of Love

Rabbi Arthur Waskow | 9/30/2009

During these past weeks, since my car crash, I have had two profound experiences I want to share with you:

  1. Brief lightning flashes of excruciating pain,
  2. Long days and weeks of love renewed and deepened.

When I had my surgery for resetting my broken leg, one of the elements—which no one mentioned ahead of time—was that under general anesthetic, to prevent my body's contaminating the operation process with unplanned urination, the surgical staff installed a urinary catheter.

The Crash 4: Thoughts, Rosh Hashanah 5770

Rabbi Arthur Waskow | 9/15/2009

Dear friends,

To welcome Rosh Hashanah with some ideas, hopes, and plans - not just the platitudes -- I have posted a video on YouTube.

You can see me, leg immobilizer, turquoise robe, rainbow yarmulke, long white beard, and all, in my rehab-center room. (The beard is even longer than usual because I haven't been able to get to my usual pre-Rosh Hashanah barbering.) I hope you'll watch. And write me whatever thoughts it stirs in you.

I keep asking myself: "Waskow, what are you learning? - about yourself, and about our community, our society, as a whole!"

The Crash 3: A Personal Appeal

Rabbi Arthur Waskow | 9/15/2009

Dear chevra,

My heart and soul have been lifted high by the wonderful blessings hundreds of you have sent me, and my mind lifted as well by dozens of thoughtful comments on the different kinds of healing I've been learning. Never have I felt so warmed and comforted by so many.

Now I need to ask your help at the body-level, too.

As I've written, everything I do takes longer than it did a month ago. Even writing, let alone walking.

But the need we have to heal and transform the Jewish people, all our religious and ethical communities, and America—has not slowed down.

The Crash 2: Healing Waskow? Healing America?

Rabbi Arthur Waskow | 9/15/2009

I have kept trying to learn from my car-crash wounding and healing.

First, the bare bones so to speak: Turns out I will need an operation on my broken tibia bone, and then more time for rehab. The operation is to happen the morning just before Rosh Hashanah welcomes the New Year, and just as Ramadan is about to end and Eid Ul-Fitr, the Festival of Breaking the Fast, is just about to begin.

What an auspicious moment to rethink! (Rethink what? Rethink me! Rethink America! Rethink our planet!)

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