Last month I had been in Chicago to celebrate my father's (Robert Davis) 90th birthday. It was a joyous yet somber occasion as we just lost my younger sister two months prior who also, had had breast cancer.
The many times I had been back to my hometown most everyone I came into contact with would say, "You can't be sick you look so good!" I learned to abhor that comment. Me with my long blond locks and puffy unblemished a bit sun tanned skin. However, after 50 rounds of radiation to the brain this past Spring, that comment would now become silent. Just being dexterous enough to make the four hour flight round trip was an arduous challenge.
As I sailed through O'Hare Airport via wheelchair I was totally aghast by all the "pink" especially the hanging ribbons from the ceilings, they had to be 10 feet tall obviously hung by some assiduous workers? How much money went into those things and by whom? Appearing on Michigan Avenue a 16 foot 1500 lb Pink Neon Bra from Advocate Health care. I found the bra insulting and of no purpose for those thousands out there without breasts. In my Stage IV acrimonious mind at the time, the monies spent on these "Pink" productions could have gone to research for Stage IV.
When I finally boarded my flight back to California, oh how great I thought, I'm out of the "Pink" zone. Not so, the napkins had Pink ribbons on them and the crew all had some trace of pink on them, scarf-pin-ribbon etc. American Way magazine was bursting with survivor stories from their own employee's. Again not a word about Stage IV, "the killer." As I read on through the magazine I was completely stymied. For more than 30 years American Airlines their Mantra "Be Pink" has actively aided in breast cancer awareness and research. That's unbelievable when you add up all the groups out there giving so many dollars for so many years?
This seems to have become a seemingly ubiquitous part of our culture. And with all the billions that have come through from a host of sectors, still no "Cure"? I would be remiss not to mention Nancy Brinker CEO of Komen who has a yearly salary of $560,896 (per Snopes) now that's charity for you!
I hope and pray only to look at next October and see ONLY pumpkins -- ORANGE pumpkins everywhere!
We must all still remain miracles of the human spirit, I have existed with this disease for nine and a half years and with perseverance and confidence I WILL not give in.
Until next time,
Peace
N