There is Pink Everywhere

Last night I went out with a friend briefly after work. We picked a restaurant we often meet at because it meets two important criteria - it is near her work and on the way home from my work and we can get chicken nachos with no jalapenos that we like and have been ordering for more than 25 years... If we meet some place without chicken nachos, we ask them to make them specially. It also only took us about 10 years to remember to say no jalapenos but we finally remember now.

Anyway, she's an old friend since junior high school and we get together to bitch about the normal things - husband's, work, her daughter, medical ailments - hers, mine, her mother who is very ill, what is our strategy for our upcoming high school reunion, etc. All those important things in life.

Unfortunately the restaurant we chose last night, had all sorts of pink stuff for breast cancer month. They were selling t-shirts and other crap and had a table of stuff on display on how to donate. I was glad to see that it was even very clear that if you bought some item for $5.00, $3.00 would be donated to breast cancer research (but they weren't as clear with the other items on how much went to research - you have to be careful with this.) They also had a glass jar count collecting people's spare change for breast cancer. Its amazing how much you collect that way.

Our waiter was attentive and nice so when I picked up the card on our table describing the event, he was quick to rush over and ask if we wanted to buy a t-shirt or something. I said you won't catch me buying anything. My friend said 'she's a survivor' and the waiter wanted to shake my hand. After he left, I said I really dislike the survivor label, and battling cancer descriptions that people bestow on us. I survived a bunch of doctor appointments. I am not battling anything really. I just live with cancer and assorted medical ailments and two things most importantly: I am a person, a human being and I am still here. I think she understands what I mean.

We also talked about never giving up hope and how that is one of the most important things to remember. Never give up hope for a cure for cancer. Never give up hope for a cure or treatment for your cancer, something to relieve the pain, one more chance to see the world.