One, I looked on the calendar and was reminded that tomorrow is the 17th which means our Aim at Melanoma Walk in Charlotte, NC is just six months away! Hot dog! That means that six months from today I leave to go down there so I'll be fresh the morning of the 17th as I bring up the rear at the walk. Being a Tarheel, born and bred, I feel it is my bounding duty to help keep the excitement for this event going and stirred up. Anne Bowman, the President of the Charlotte, NC chapter of Aim has plenty on her plate as it is. Though this will be my first trip to Charlotte, this is my state and I want to show it off and be hospitable, even six months in advance. This walk is already a big deal as people, literally, are flying in from all over the country to participate and meet each other. I'm not sure how much walking will get done because there's going to be lots of hugging, crying, and visiting. Will people donate to a Aim at Melanoma Hug-A-Thon you suppose? I bet we can keep raising bucks at our after party.
Two, I found a quote left on my Facebook page by a fellow blogger. He's not referring to me with this quote but to yesterday's post. "A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history. Mahatma Gandhi"
And I thought of our walk again. But more than that, I thought of those of us who don't just travel MelaRoad, we live there and have rooms at Hotel Melanoma. We don't just "have melanoma." No, we have a mission to stop this cancer from continuing its chartered course of being the deadliest cancer in just ten years. Other people may not understand our mission but we do. And I think we're beginning to grasp the idea that we can actually change the course this cancer is on.
Some doctors are already calling the rapid spread of melanoma "epidemic." Australia is already dubbed the "Melanoma Capital of the World." And while there is much left to learn about melanoma we know enough to know we definitely do not want our children getting it. Or our grandchildren. Or anybody else. We've got it and we don't want others to get it. We can't change the course we're on, but we want to change the course of this cancer and change the course of history and change the course of other people who stand a chance of getting it.
We want to make our journeys count and count HUGE! And while it seemed quite dubious, at first, that people cared and were listening, well, we're beginning to see evidence that people DO care and they ARE listening and they ARE making changes in their habits and lifestyles and that's exciting! Sure we wish there were more, and there are people who still ignore our stories and that hurts, BUT we are finding that we ARE making a difference and maybe, just maybe, because we ARE making a difference melanoma won't be the deadliest cancer in the world by 2022! And maybe people who were doing everything they could TO get it will make changes in time so they WON'T get it.
Well, my moody blues mood changed. I think about my fighting melapals and I can't stay down long. I think about our upcoming walk and I get pumped all over again. That six months is going to fly so fast and November 17th will be here before we know it! And we're going to rock it out at our after party and we're going to rock melanoma out of the future. We have to.
Melanoma is coming down! We're being seen and heard and we're gonna paint it black.
So I leave you with my version of Meatloaf's Life Is A Lemon And I Want My Money Back
Life’s Not Just Pink So We Will Paint It Black
(We will paint it black!)
(We will paint it black!)
It's all or nothing but next to nothing's all we get
Every time we turn around, we burn it up and burn it out
It's always something, there's always something in our way
That's the only guarantee, that's what this is all about
Mel’s a never-ending attack
Everything's not pink and that's a fact
Life’s not just pink so we will paint it black!
And all the morons, and all the stooges with their coins
They're the ones who make the rules—this isn’t a game it's just our life
There's exasperation, there's exasperation in the air
It leaves a bad taste in our mouth but we will cut thru all the strife
And we're always slipping thru the cracks
But we get over, we push back
Life’s not just pink so we will paint it black!
(We will paint it black!)
(We will paint it black!)
(what about love?—got to have it!)
It always helps us to stay strong
(what about sex?—got to have it!)
It helps remind us we belong
(what about our family?—got to have them!)
All their batteries last long
(what about our friends?—got to have them!)
They’re parts needed in our song
(what about hope?—got to have it!)
It's out there and displayed
(what about faith?—got to have it!)
It's tested but remains
(what about your God?—got to have Him!)
He lifts up the warranty
(what about your town?—got to have it!)
There’s no dead end street for me
(what about research?—got to have it!)
It is where our future lies!
(what about money—got to have it!)
Funds the research or more die
(We will paint it black!)
(We will paint it black!)
It's all or nothing but next to nothing's all we get
Every time we turn around, we burn it up and burn it out
It's always something, there's always something in our way
That's the only guarantee, that's what this is all about
Mel’s a never-ending attack
Everything's not pink and that's a fact
Life’s not just pink so we will paint it black!
And all the morons, and all the stooges with their coins
They're the ones who make the rules—this isn’t a game it's just our life
There's exasperation, there's exasperation in the air
It leaves a bad taste in our mouth but we will cut thru all the strife
And we're always slipping thru the cracks
But we get over, we push back
Life’s not just pink so we will paint it black!
(We will paint it black!)
(We will paint it black!)
(what about love?—got to have it!)
It always helps us to stay strong
(what about sex?—got to have it!)
It helps remind us we belong
(what about our family?—got to have them!)
All their batteries last long
(what about our friends?—got to have them!)
They’re parts needed in our song
(what about hope?—got to have it!)
It's out there and displayed
(what about faith?—got to have it!)
It's tested but remains
(what about your God?—got to have Him!)
He lifts up the warranty
(what about your town?—got to have it!)
There’s no dead end street for me
(what about research?—got to have it!)
It is where our future lies!
(what about money—got to have it!)
Funds the research or more die
(what about more options?—got to have them!)
Melanoma’s hard to get past
(what about our future?—got to have it!)
We want it now and want it fast!
(We will paint it black!)
(life’s not just pink)
(We will paint it black!)
(life’s not just pink, life’s not just pink)
It's all or nothing but next to nothing's all we get
Every time we turn around we burn it up and burn it out
It's a never ending attack
Everything's not pink and that's a fact
Life’s not just pink so we will paint it black!
And we're always slipping thru the cracks
But we get over, we push back
Life’s not just pink so we will paint it black—black—black—black—black....
Melanoma’s hard to get past
(what about our future?—got to have it!)
We want it now and want it fast!
(We will paint it black!)
(life’s not just pink)
(We will paint it black!)
(life’s not just pink, life’s not just pink)
It's all or nothing but next to nothing's all we get
Every time we turn around we burn it up and burn it out
It's a never ending attack
Everything's not pink and that's a fact
Life’s not just pink so we will paint it black!
And we're always slipping thru the cracks
But we get over, we push back
Life’s not just pink so we will paint it black—black—black—black—black....
(We will paint it black!)
(life’s not just pink).
There are too many cancer colors. We're going to do everything we can to take black out.
Help us and we'll all be grateful. Support melanoma research.
I am really looking forward to the walk too.
ReplyDeleteWe're really looking forward to the walk and meeting everyone! Great song!
ReplyDelete