October News

I've been neglectful. I've been trotting around Holland and England for most of October, and I've let my blogging responsibilities slip. Many apologies. Did you miss me?

Since landing at LAX a couple of days ago, I've recovered from some of my jet lag, and I've tackled the laundry and the other immediate re-entry chores. Now I can refocus on my normal daily routines, blogging included.

Let's cover the most important topic first. You must have noticed that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. The little blurbs and news stories are everywhere. Coincidentally, on October 23rd, I marked my one-year anniversary since my diagnosis. While the past 12 months have been an ordeal, I'm viewing the whole experience as one of those tests that life unexpectedly throws you. You do your best to pass it, learning as you go. At this point, I can say that I made it through. I'm well. My stamina is returning, and I'm ready to move on. But with the authority of 20-20 hindsight, a word to the wise: Guard against the tendency to be ostrich-like about this disease. I've talked to so many women who have so much fear, they fail to take any action at all -- no mammograms, no self-exams, no doctor visits. Since breast cancer prevention is many years into the future, early detection is the best option we have. Take steps to educate yourself, and the other women in your life, about screening methods and stay vigilant. No one will do it for you.

After undergoing months of cancer treatment, I felt I deserved a reward, which explains why I've just returned from some international travel. My husband and I had already scheduled an October trip to Great Britain to visit our son, Joe, who is enjoying a semester in London. Coincidentally, I was offered a work-related trip to Amsterdam in the two weeks before my already scheduled vacation in the U.K. So what was originally planned as 10 days away extended into a three-week road trip. It was great. I had not visited Europe in far too long. I won't make that mistake again.

My being away took its toll on my newly minted garden, however. In my absence, everyone disregarded their borders. The eggplants encroached on the chives, the peppers rudely extended their leggy branches into the adjacent hedge, and the basil stretched dramatically beyond its boundary. In addition, the Santa Ana winds deposited leaves and debris into every crevice, cranny, and corner. Hours of clean-up and trimming awaited me. But as I launched into clipping and tidying, what struck me, quite to my surprise, was that my presence did indeed make a difference here. While I was elsewhere, the landscaping had definitely suffered. Is that the lesson of the garden? In its silent way, a garden quickly shows if it's being neglected. On the other hand, a beautified patch outside your door is surprisingly pleasurable and restorative. But it doesn't stay inviting without tending and nurturing. If the gardener fails to keep order, Darwinian forces take over, and the stronger plants muscle out the demure ones, which robs the place of its delicacy. And that's to be avoided, I think.

Finally, October 2008 means that the election cycle is in a frenzied state. I noticed that the Europeans were following our presidential race very closely. They snickered whenever Mrs. Palin's name was mentioned, and appeared to be standing by, waiting to see if America will falter or pull itself together. If you've followed the earlier blog entries here, you know that I suggested to Senator McCain that I was at least as equally qualified as Mrs. Palin to be his running mate and that I could easily replace her. He didn't respond to my offer, but my feelings weren't hurt. I have plenty to do without running for elected office. But then so does Mrs. Palin -- with governing the State of Alaska, and planning Bristol and Levi's wedding, and tending to her special-needs child, and hunting for caribou, and working on her hair and make-up, she must be overwhelmed. She is probably spread so thin, that when put on the spot, she might completely forget the name of a single Supreme Court case, other than Roe v. Wade. Hmmm.

Since I've missed much of the October that is particular to Southern California (the fires, the heat, the parched ground), I have a few seasonal plans for the week ahead: Make a pumpkin pie, distribute some Halloween candy, go to a soccer game, and study up on the propositions. Mostly, I'm reminded that, in so many small ways, we all make a difference -- whether it's reminding each other about cancer prevention, beautifying our surroundings, or exercising our rights at the polls. Every voice counts, but not unless it's heard. Now is the time to speak up. Take time to vote and bring a neighbor with you.