In sickness and in health.

Some thoughtful, but risky posts have been delayed.

My wife is ill and in hospital.

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

You'll know from reading this that I'm relatively coy about the identities of people in my life, insofar as they pertain to my writing. I tend to use dashes like S-, or descriptions like

I used to write for a soap opera called Shortland Street.

It was not uncommon for the actors to be abused in the supermarket. The abuser inevitably called them their character's name. The writers’ table thought it was quite funny. We took it as a complement for our great work. But I think about the actors quite a lot. A friend of mine played a serial-killing villain on the show and did a couple of years of strategic career advancement/lying low in Australia for a few years after h- stint ended.

So I'm wary of turning the people in my life into characters.

There's also a strong 'nothing about us without us’ sense emerging among various groups of people - and audiences too, which I think has merit. Though I do think that the whole point of art is for artists to describe the world they notice around them, to the best of their abilities.

Don't know if the deer or whatever in this image would be particularly flattered by accuracy of the depiction… Photo by René Riegal on Unsplash

Long ago, I put a family member's nose seriously out of joint by an ill-conceived article.

I don't think it was in any way worth it. Anyway, I tend not to drag my family into my work, for better or worse, while recognising the central part they play in my life and headspace.

My wife has been ill for several weeks, but something went seriously wrong last Wednesday.

I took her to the doctor Thursday. They put her straight into an ambulance and took her to hospital. She's been there ever since. Hopefully she'll get out very soon, but we don't want to rush it.

I've been blessed - it's the only appropriate word - to have my in-laws over from New Zealand. I really don't know what I would be able to do without them. My wife and I have two young children who require round the clock care. They've got it. They're doing well.

So my publishing has taken a back seat.

It's something that's is so profitable and delightful for me to do. I hope it's the same for you to read or listen to.

Funnily enough, the actual writing hasn't ceased. I've roughly maintained my schedule and word count - I take some time each day, before the rest of the household wakes up, no matter what. But the things I've been writing about have been a bit heavy, specifically the recent death of a friend.

So, I've decided to hold them back till I'm confident that I can treat them with the required sensitivity.

Please bear with me while I regain my bearings.

Arthur.