New York Times Article

I found this great New York Times article about the redundant phrases and words that our very real cancer experiences are buried under.

I have warned my friends on many occasions that they are forbidden to write "lost her courageous battle with cancer" if I die. Not that will ever happen! I just can't bear the thought of my life being boiled down to a thoughtless cliche in the end. I plan to live beyond 80 just to make sure that very thing never happens.

There is so much more to us all than those worn over words like 'battle' and if someone ever called me a 'victim' I'm afraid I'd have to tear out their throat with my bare hands.

I felt so passionate about the same subject that I wrote my cancer rant about it. Read the NY Times article here.

News Paper Article

I'm doing the happy dance right now! Mentally of course. Spectacular and tragic accidents happen when I physically try and do the happy dance.

I finally got a hold of a copy of the news article the paper did about me and my artwork. The photo of me is HUGE. I admit, it's a good photo of me, taken last year in brief time I was off the prednisone. I look pretty hot and fabulous with my "pixie cut" and my boots.

I was on the cover of the ARTS section and my photo takes up most of the page. The article is hideously flawed with misquotes, including a baited quote at the end. I would have never said, "It would be nice if people would buy my paintings", if the journalist hadn't asked and baited me in to saying it. How unprofessional sounding on my part. Also, the part at the bottom of the article where they say, "see ART SHOW pg. 2", it said, "see DISEASE pg.2" It also called me, "groggy", because I explained, "chemo brain" to him. They also had the photo of my painting sideways, but whatever. ANYWAY. I could write another article on all the mistakes they made, but all in all, it looks really good.

The part that has me really excited, is how the universe has a way of putting things together.

A few years ago I left the community I grew up in to finish my studies at a larger university with more impressive credentials. As I finished my last year I ended up diagnosed with leukemia. While I was in hospital I read an article from a First Nations artist from my home community. He candidly spoke about how he nearly ended his life and how the decision to create through art, saved his life. I was incredibly touched by his story and cut out the article to paste in my cancer scrapbook. His honesty and struggle gave me an extra bit of fight and inspiration.

As I sat side stage during my convocation, I looked in the grad pamphlet and saw that I had graduated with honours and with distinction! I also learned that the artist whom I had read about was receiving an honorary degree. I heard him tell the same story that I had pasted in my scrapbook a few days earlier.

After the ceremony, I went backstage and to meet him and they threw me in front of the camera during his photo shoot...with my blue wig! When I was back in hospital for my stem cell transplant, he tracked down my grandmother and through her, sent me a beautiful card and hand written note.

I also used a quote from him in my artist write up, for my show.

Today, when I opened the paper, there was a full article of him opposite to mine in the Community section. Between the two of us we took up the entire two pages! I've been planning to get in contact with him again to thank him. This is the little push I've needed, to do it.

I'm sitting on my patio right now, in the dark typing this and feeling very blessed, lucky...and content.