Stanley

Me: How're you feeling?

Stanley: (In his deep Mississippi drawl) Fine. I'm feeling fine.

Me: Polly tells me you're going today to see if you can get glasses.

Stanley: Maybe they can help me a little. Clear things up some. It's not a detached retina or anything like that. They already told me that. The trouble is in the back of my head.

Me: Uh huh.

Stanley: There's a gel right behind the eye and if it gets too hot, gets to boiling, the retina detaches. That's not my problem.

Stanley is tall, still slender, still handsome.

Stanley: There was no pain. Just suddenly I couldn't see.

He was golfing when it happened. Polly says everything went blurry on him.

Stanley: They said it was a stroke. But there was no pain. And the only problem I have now is my eyes. I thank the Lord for that.

Me: Maybe it was a warning.

Stanley: No. There was no warning.

Me: No, I mean maybe the stroke was a warning.

Stanley: I don't think so. I don't know what I'd do different. I don't smoke. I don't drink.

Me: And you don't think you want to start? (Small attempt at humor.)

Stanley: Not at this point in my life. No. Only two things I want controlling my life, the Lord and my wife.

His wife, that's Polly, the one who calls everyone Darlin'.

Stanley: I never did want to put something in my mouth and set fire to it.