Daily Archives: June 27, 2019

On being human

Posted on June 27, 2019 | 7 comments

Twofer day as it turns out I have a lot to say and my dog Kumo’s not interested.

So. Online dating. In September it will be two years since I jumped into this arena. For the most part I have had a truly positive experience. Got badly burned once but after a little pause I got right back at it.

I have learned so very much about the human heart. Their’s and mine.

Along the way I have met a number of extraordinary men and women–I am gender agnostic ;). Some have remained friends and for this I am truly grateful. It makes it all feel more civilized somehow.

For the most part I have approached the dating game like a school yard. No standing on the sidelines–instead I’ve gone out and played with little concern about getting hurt. If someone was not that much fun or didn’t play nicely, I moved on.

Of course, I have come at this with a rather considerable disability. Telling people that ‘oh yeah, I have stage IV lung cancer’ has taken considerable courage and, with time, increasing finesse. I’ve learned how to spin it so that it sounds like a positive. However, I am only too aware that a terminal illness isn’t an advantage.

Online dating, under any circumstances, is not for the faint of heart. At times it resembles a contact sport. Yesterday I got knocked down hard. Maybe, just maybe, it had nothing to do with the fact that I have lung cancer. But I understand only too well that if it’s between me and someone who is hale and hearty, well, the choice may be only too obvious.

Today I am feeling both sad and a little bit bruised. In need of a hug. And validation. I recognize that it is not an easy choice–stepping into my life. But I am (and I have to believe this) absolutely worth it.

xo

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Posted in Uncategorized

Profanity and profundity

Posted on June 27, 2019 | 7 comments

At the age of ten I possessed a diary; red, covered in naugahyde, and secured by a lock and key. Its primary function was as a repository for each notable expansion of my vocabulary. Wonderful words like twat, that curled my tongue and piqued my imagination.

My classmates were one reliable resource, but I also scoured books that I pulled from my parent’s shelves. A quick study, I became incredibly adept at skimming until I got to the juicy parts.

Although I understood the need to be discreet per my prurient interest, it never occurred to me to be ashamed. I was curious, and frankly fascinated by not only what was being described, but the words themselves. There are so very many forms of human expression.

I also grew up in a strict and fairly repressive household, those books on the shelves notwithstanding. It would take a good long time before I became comfortable enough to simply be myself. Rather a bit of a randy (turning an adjective into a noun for my own purposes).

Or, as I was described (to my delight) by some young women: ‘dirty but elegant.’ A sentiment recently echoed by my friend Kate B: ‘so regal but can still tell a person to fuck off.’

My self description would be dignified but profane.

Megan Rapinoe just publicly apologized for using the word fucking. ‘“I stand by the comments that I made about not wanting to go to the White House, with exception of the expletive,” she said. “My mom would be very upset about that.’

Now I hear her. My mother would be upset if she heard me speak. However (and I am not representing a franchise like Megan is and my mother is deceased), I do not feel the apology was warranted.

I just made a presentation to GE where I used the word fucked three times. It is possible that some in the audience felt offended, but fucked belongs in my narrative. It describes actual words I used (communicating to my oncologist) and at the time seemed like the most expedient, honest and (yes) elegant way to describe how I was feeling.

What we refer to as ‘swear’ words are valid and time proven forms of verbal expression. And, to be honest, I don’t really understand how people can find them offensive.

Cancer offends me. And if a dirty word helps me get that point across, well then I will damn well utilize it.

xo

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Posted in ALK mutations, Attitude

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