I am crafting two posts today. The one about the film I just finished. But I also wanted to get back to continue the thread that we had going yesterday. That all started with Terry’s blog post on Sabbath Moments. At one point he was talking people with dementia and their battle. How there are “culture driven presumptions” that imprison them beside the disease that also imprisons.
Maybe I don’t write about it often enough but the battle against cancer is almost always on my mind. Dealing with the disease itself is hard, if that weren’t enough. But what I became aware of at some point was the other battle against the fear of the disease which seems in some ways to be worse than the disease itself. That fear can be a highly personal thing but it is also a collective cultural thing that influences thinking on a big scale.
The concept of cancer hangs in our collective consciousness like some giant monolithic boogie man. When I or anyone gets branded with the cancer brand that descends on us to cloud the view of everyone of us. We are seen through the lens of “too bad”. It so complicates things. We have to fight for our individuality, our particular song on n all this. We are not our disease!
The presumptions go on an and on. Even people I know well get caught up in this and don’t really see me. But these presumptions can be even more dangerous if I would start mirroring them as my reality. Instead of taking a really close look at my situation as it exists for me if I accept what it is I am “supposed” to see.
Ah, books have been written on this I am sure and I am out of time for now. Have to go to work. Thanks for taking the time to be with me. Love, Felipe.
Hola Felipe Amigo!
I fully appreciate the message you’re getting across here. I’ve witnessed it myself with loved ones and casual friends who have been the target of “The Big ‘C'”. I’ve been branded as “insensitive” from time to time because I treat them as I’ve always treated them. In your case, I never had the opportunity of knowing you before you went “mano y mano” with The Big C. From the “get-go”, to me, you’ve just been a cool guy with a great outlook on life that happens to have a lot in common with this Iowa Farmer. You fight your health battle like any ol’ Marine-stare it in the eye and say, “Is that all you’ve got, Big C?”, like Lt Dan in Forrest Gump, “Don’t hold anything back because I’m not going to”. Give’m Hell, Felipe!
Love ya, man,
SF,
PFJ
PFJ ~ hey great to hear from you again. Man I am really chewing on this stuff now aren’t I? Maybe more to say tomorrow. Just having our first fire in the wood stove this evening. I got it all cleaned out and going for the Californians coming on Thursday. They will feel cold up here in the North country. Love you man, Felipe.