Wednesday, August 27, 2008

An invitation gracelessly declined

Sorting through yesterday's junk mail, I came across an envelope marked "special invitation."

Ah, I know what this must be, I thought to myself -- a special invitation to donate money.

The envelope was from a local hospital, one where I (and my Long Suffering Spouse) have spent far too much time over the past couple of years.

I don't donate to charities nearly as much as I did when I was saving money each month -- a time now so distant, it seems B.C. (As indeed it is, if "B.C." is meant as an abbreviation for "Before College.") Nowadays a good month is one where my credit card balances don't go up.

But I opened this envelope anyway.

I was surprised to see that this was not a solicitation for funds, at least not a direct one. It was an actual invitation to a reception, at the hospital.

For cancer survivors.

I tossed the invite into the recycling bin as if it were burning my fingers.

I suppose I qualify in a technical sense as a cancer 'survivor.' I was diagnosed with cancer. It was removed. I'm still here.

I went through a major operation. I had a substantial amount of plumbing removed. It took me months to regain my strength... and I am still adapting to the changes caused by the surgery.

Along with the several feet of tubing removed was a teeny, tiny spot of cancer. I had no chemo. I had no radiation. It just seems to me that, under these circumstances, regardless of the technicalities, it is somehow inappropriate to consider me a 'cancer survivor.'

It could have been much worse.

But it wasn't.

And I'm not going.

4 comments:

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

i COMPLETELY understand this one curmy! yikes, how did we get in that group, right?

smiles, bee
tyvc

Ralph said...

Curmy, you are more than a survivor for sure. But your health has improved even with the endless adaptations you have to make every day. And this is good.

But, the Hors d'œuvre at events like this are really good, and you could've saved money on groceries - for one meal at least!

Shelby said...

in the trash where it should go..

landgirl said...

I understand but I would have understood, too, if you had gone.

Faced a similar situation here and made same decision you did.

Celebrate by not going to a party based on a problem--a bit too much like one of the 12 step things.