I was chatting briefly to one of the radiotherapists this morning after being nuked - you have as long as it takes you to dress yourself in the nuking chamber whilst they clean down the 'couch' for the next patient (no gowns as they'd constitute low level radioactive waste even if they have no impact on the nuking itself).

She was asking me what I was doing the rest of the day - home, change, work - and what that involved (they all know I'm a minister).

It happens that this one is Asian (I'd guess first generation given her accent) and in her own words 'not religious'.  She asked me what I thought about Eastern views on 'life after life' commenting that she felt she had an 'old soul' and had several lives still ahead of her.  Whilst I cannot share her views on reincarnation (and said so) there was a common ground in believing that this life is not all there is. 

When I was studying theology, and we learned about world faiths, the emphasis was heavily on dialogue - meeting points, learning with and from one another without denying or watering down differences.

I am fascinated by this woman's sense that she has an 'old soul', which is probably as strong for her as my sense that 'we pass this way but once'.  Yet for each of us, with very different worldviews, was the sense that we make the most of the now with a hope (theological meaning) for the not yet.  Amazing what you can discuss in two minutes!

I'm not absolutely sure what 'normal' is meant to look like - there was the 'old normal' which was, as one might term it B.C. (before cancer), and the 'new normal' which has been the case these past few months, with daily posts on anything or nothing to demonstrate that I am still OK, D.T. (during treatment), perhaps?!  So now, as I move on to a 'new, new normal' in what I hope becomes perpeutual N.E.D. (no evidence of disease, official designation) it feels like it is time this blog began to move along too.

For the time being at least, it will continue to carry its links to cancer websites - I cannot turn back time and not be a '1 in 3' or a '1 in 8' (or a '1 in 5' of a '1 in 5' of a '1 in 8' or whatever it actually works out as), so normal has to include some ongoing recognition of that.  There will also continue to be some posts relating directly to the zapping (No 10 of 25 this morning) and ongoing treatement/followup.  But inevitably, and rightly, the emphasis will shift.

Over the last few weeks I have often found myself thinking 'well, what on earth can I write about today' as life has been very quiet, and the routine walk to the nuking chamber doesn't make very entertaining reading.  Just by way of mild amusement, this morning the muzak was 'I Want to Break Free' followed by 'Life is a Roller Coaster.'  Being fixed to a device that wouldn't look out of place in a medieval torture chamber, the former had a nice irony; the latter is a reflection of reality and, spookily, a reference I was contemplating using in this Sunday's sermon.

So, what will 'normal service' look like?  Possibly less posts - that is, there may be days when I don't post as I have nothing to say, and there may be periods of blog-silence other than for holidays.  A lot more about church life, more bits of half-baked theology or things that amuse me.  And, in time, some more overtly reflective stuff about this whole long distance walk up a mountainn, through a forest, across a river, and how it has impacted my thinking, being, faithing (if there is such a word) and so on.

It's great to be back at work - trying to be good and take things slowly - and normal service is being resumed, as much as possible.