Here we go, a November/Movember post because it’s a very important month. I am currently sporting a thick mustache for all my cancer homies and those battling mental health struggles.
There seems to be a disconnect between what the purpose of the month actually is…each year I hear some maintain it’s just a time to do fun, weird stuff with facial hair while others use it as a springboard to have conversations about taking care of ourselves. Is there a wrong answer? I’d say no, but even so I subscribe to the latter. Awareness very well saved my life.
So why is it so important to spread awareness? Being aware gives you control – and currently, there seems to be very little in our control. Government (which takes up way too much of our mind space in my opinion) is out of our hands. Social media is a cesspool, filled with people looking for reasons to be upset or to throw stones. It has become a failed experiment without a solution. I’ve personally removed Facebook and Twitter apps from my phone and limited notifications from other apps as well. I find it helps clear some of the noise.
TV isn’t any better. I have become jaded toward fame and cannot understand or accept hero worship of celebrities or influencers. It’s meaningless! It brings no joy. And, back to my main point, other people can often let you down – there’s nothing about a public figure that is within our control.
I often find myself searching for control while wading through the doom and gloom. My secret? Talking, openly and freely, about life and death; about cancer, sure, even if I don’t go there as much these days. I find that focusing my attention on broader concepts like anger or joy gives me a sense of control. There’s also tremendous value in laughing as hard and as often as I can, and making others laugh, too. I am always looking for a punchline, or a quip, a way to bridge a gap and make myself and whoever I’m talking to happy for at least a few minutes.
To sidetrack for a moment, an observation. Talking about cancer is not fun. This blog shifted for that very reason. Just this week, America desperately found solace in a questionable move by John Stamos (who I believe had his heart in the right place but posted in a way that led people to find him out-of-touch) to avoid the reality that Dave Coulier has cancer – news we JUST heard days before. Our fast-moving news cycle is a blessing for letting us move on and a curse when it comes to contemplation.
I get it, it’s human nature to self-soothe. I watch Tom & Jerry after horror movies, for example. We all want to take the edge off, and we should. Life isn’t rosy and fun all the time. Instagram isn’t real. But part of being in control doesn’t mean we ignore reality. Eventually it will come back, scarier than before, and we have to learn ways to move forward.
So this month, be aware of your own health and the health of those you care about. If you notice unexplained lumps, pains, or intrusive thoughts, get checked out. If your friend seems down and incapable of climbing out of the rut they’re in, bug the hell out of them until they do something about it. Stay up all night with the person who just happened to reach out to you for help.
We all know these things and are entirely capable. If I didn’t have people reaching out to me, my life would be very lonely. I am thankful daily for the people who care. While I’m on the topic, the latest updates with me are that I will have an oncologist appointment in early December. My oncologist is leaving the hospital, which is a real bummer, so I’ll be assigned someone new. I am confident that the test results will be more of the same and I will be fine, but even if not, it’s not the end of the road. The main thing I can be in control of is my perspective, and for right now at least I’m choosing gratitude.
Take care, thank you for reading, enjoy Thanksgiving, and I’ll check in after my appointment!
Very good. You can put into words on paper what I think myself. You are right on target.