Yes, We Have Cancer
By ice rivers
- 1368 reads
Yes, we have cancer.
Who are we?
We are I, in all my different hats and moods.
We are all those who love me and all those whom I love and all those who love them.
We are everybody who knows me and everybody who knows them.
We are everybody who reads about us.
You are we.
Our cancer will affect you as it effects all of the we's of all the folks who have or had this cross to bear.
You know us, some of you know us better than others.
We are public people who seek a private place; a place like this.
We've been in a lot of places from the front page of the New York times to the middle of Entertainment Tonight. We stay awhile, make a difference and head out for some place else.
Now, we are here in a place like this.
Some of you, even in a private place like this recognize us from my work and from our past shared experiences and now know my great secret.
I'm talking to you Joe Martin....don't let anyone know.
We know we can trust Joe, after all he is mos'def one of us.
We don't want to be the "about" in the "holy shit did you hear about them?"
We have cancer and we don't want the whole world to know until we want the world to know and we'll let you know when that day comes.
That's why we come to a place like this and take this identity; enjoying the serenity of anonymity.
We intend to describe this journey with accuracy and honesty soo, you can tell others what we say but please don't tell them whom we are unless you are speaking for yourself because you are we and we are you and we are altogether.
Goo Goo ga joob.
So what do you think when we say the word "cancer".
Everybody thinks something different and everybody is probably right to some degree.
We've changed our understanding of the C word as well as the meaning that we give to the C word since we now have to apply it to ourselves and thus to you.
The word that best conveys our current interpetation of the C word is this: TREATABLE.
Please stay tuned; for we're very sure that this is part of the job we were put here for, especially in a place like this.
You are welcome here as welcome as we are.
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Comments
I enjoyed this thoughtful
I enjoyed this thoughtful piece ice. You might be interested to read Bee's journey - we have it on our front page.
suggestions:
it's 'affect' both times
it should be who, not whom all the times you've used it here
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'Everybody thinks something
'Everybody thinks something different and everybody is probably right to some degree.' And attitudes have changed from from barely being able to utter the 'c word' outloud, to acknowledging that in so many cases it's treatable. Because it is. So true.
I really liked your use of the word 'we', because even where 'I' is appropriate, cancer will in some way affect us all. I'll stay tuned.
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I like the positive, matter
I like the positive, matter of fact take. So true that even if 'we' don't have the disease, if a loved one - or anyone does - we still are affected.
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