A family history of heart disease, the clicking clock of Father Time, and the narrator finds himself on a treadmill, literally waiting for the verdict, the thumbs up/thumbs down verdict of fate in the form of his stress test results, which leave him with more questions than answers.
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Piece Description
A family history of heart disease, the clicking clock of Father Time, and the narrator finds himself on a treadmill, literally waiting for the verdict, the thumbs up/thumbs down verdict of fate in the form of his stress test results, which leave him with more questions than answers.
Broadcast History
Broadcast on The Health Show, WAMC-radio, Albany, NY and affiliated stations in February 2012
Transcript
I was stretched out on a narrow hospital style bed, a gurney, as a technician pasted electrodes onto my hairy chest. Soon, I had a series of wires trailing from my body, with a rectangular box, which looked like an old floppy drive, anchored on my hip. Then I was guided onto a treadmill, my left bicep encased in a blood pressure cuff.
By this time, I was wired –- both literally and figuratively. I always feared my visits to the doctor’s office, and found this –- my semi-annual stress test –- particularly stressful. In the days leading up to the test, I tried to distract myself, and usually succeeded. I performed my first one-man show on November 19, and with that milestone approaching, I put the medical test out of my mind. But once the show was over, my December 1 test hung out on my personal horizon, coming toward me much too quickly, and filling me with a vague sense of dread.
Hea...
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Timing and Cues
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Intro and Outro
INTRO:Judah Leblang is a writer, storyteller, and teacher in Boston. He is the author of the memoir, "Finding My Place" and is currently performing his one-man show, "Finding My Place: One Man's Journey through the Middle Ages."
OUTRO:To listen, read and hear more of Judah's work, check out his website at judahleblang.com
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