The stochastic and the stable

"We live in a world which is an impressive mixture of sufficiencies, tight completenesses, order, recurrences which make possible prediction and control, and singularities, ambiguities, uncertain possibilities, processes going on to consequences as yet indeterminate." (p. 47) 

from John Dewey's "Experience and Nature."

A trip to the orthopedic surgeon

 "You handing in there, err I mean hanging in there? Hey help me write a script I'm working on. It's called LEAVE KEY ON DESK. More on that some other time." Jeff writes in a text.

"That's what I did Tuesday--left key on desk." I write, thinking about it being my last day and leaving behind the gangbox key so that the gang could access their tools the following day.

I share the following picture. 

"Doc gives me a 50/50 chance for a nonsurgical recovery." I write back.

"Is the problem where the bones are not very close together on the right side?" Jeff asks. 

"Left side thumb. Aligned fracture that can be yanked out of place by tendons. Lovely shit. Doc is some high-powered multisyllabic German last name jock lacrosse player from Notre Dame who has jerseys posted all over his female-run office. Sent me in for urinalysis with some med tech. Three attempts later I squeeze out the required amount. She does all her best mommy accolades, and a partially buried trauma surfaces of my own mother and the fear she used against me during sphincter training. Freud bursts through the wall like Kool-Aid man, screaming "Oh no."

Oh fucking no." I finish.

A day later Jeff writes, "Sorry. I can't formulate anything of equal value as a reply to your previous text."

I write, "Yeah that was a supernova of raw experience. Just look away."

The thread tapers off into silence.