The Princess Phone

WOW the technology we have today in telephones! I have a very smart phone, it tracks my exercise. It tracks my calories; I believe there is an App to track anything. It does more than I will ever know or need. I do not suffer from telephone envy when the newest brightest phone is unveiled. There was a day when I did have telephone envy.

 It was over 40 years ago. My best friend Susan had a Princess Phone. The sleek phone was on her night stand between her and her sisters bed. It had its own number 742-1388 the phone was just theirs. No calls for Mom or Dad on it. I would have loved to have had my own phone. But I had to share with the family. We did have three phones, in the kitchen, my Mom’s room and the living room.  It was not unusual to only have one line in a home. Parents thought the conversations we were having could be in public. No real need for privacy. But we did get our privacy when we added the 25’ cord to the kitchen phone. We could stretch that cord out to the garage. There were many a wall phone pulled off the wall while trying to get privacy or quite.

I believe now if our children had to live under those circumstances the child protective services might come in.  It might be some kind of child neglect. I miss those days. I miss when you called a friend their attention was completely yours. There were no interruptions with call waiting. You could not be distracted with driving, walking, shopping, texting. You were tethered to the end of that cord. The caller ID you had, was to have your sibling answer the phone. Oh and the phone etiquette! “Hello this is the Smith Home, I am sorry my father is not available may I take a message?”

Today’s phone etiquette where is that taught? I believe there could be an entire book written on the subject now that our phones go everywhere with us.

It Is About the Hair!

I have gone 11 weeks without a pedicure.  On this cancer journey you have been WARNED you are very susceptible to infection during chemo therapy. But I am desperate, my blood counts have always been good. It is right before a treatment , I am going! I am going to the mall nail spa.

I walk in pick my color, (this is not my first rodeo.) I choose a red to go with my new red lipstick. I am trying to be on the cutting edge of fashion.  If and when I start having the sick look I want to be at least well manicured. Never wearing pajama’s in public it screams  I have given up on life, whether you have an illness or not.

I get cozy in the massaging pedicure chair. The water was a little too hot at first then I got use to it and enjoyed it. I did not even have to tell him not to cut my cuticles. I believe the  scarf told him that might not be a good idea. Matter of fact we did not say much at all.  All went well with the pedicure, he even let me stay a while longer in the chair while my pigs were drying.  I paid and tipped him. I then get moved over to the nail dryer. While I am there I get my tips worth. He starts rubbing my shoulders while my toes are drying. Then in his broken English he asks “Why no hare” I stop and think, I have to think before I speak. I say “ I am having some treatments” He asks “ concer”  I say yes “ I have breast cancer”  He then informs me that there is fake hare. I say;"Yes I know I have seven wigs now." I pull out my phone and show him my photo with all my wigs (Disguise’s of Patient Rachel Newhart ) Then he see’s on my phone pictures of Sam and Barbie. He then says hare make you look ten year younger! And nobody know U doing treatment. Then I felt compelled to lie. I told him I had worn a wig all day at work and I just needed a break, It gets uncomfortable.

See it is about the hair.  I should have said I believe in the power of thoughts and prayer I want to make it easy for people too spot me out. If they don’t say a little prayer for me at least the thought “ She would look ten years younger with some Fake Hare”

Funny Thing About No Hair

  I am not really sure if there is anything funny about being a woman and being bald. I like to find some humor in everything.

This morning I was a little disappointed as to my baldness timing. I was putting on my makeup and before I got to the eyeliner and mascara. I noticed the smoky eyes that I created; I would make a great Uncle Fester for Halloween.

Not so funny but a lesson learned. Before I went back to work, I was getting practice in wearing my many wigs.  I put on Barbie, Barbie is a blonde long wig I bought for a Halloween costume years ago.  Barbie and I hit the mall for some mall walking. It appears Barbie likes to shop more than walk.  We were checking out a Dillard’s when the young clerk commented she liked my hair. My correct response should have been thank you.  But before I knew it I said “Oh it is a wig I am in the middle of chemo and I have no hair”.  I immediately felt horrible I could see the look on her face. It is that look on someone’s face when they ask you when the babies due and you are not pregnant. What lesson did I learn? Just be gracious and say thank you. If you are going to wear it own it!

Wearing a wig and mall walking and wearing a wig working are two different things. My first day back at work I am wearing Sugar. Sugar is a brunette bob with sassy bangs. I am in a store looking for stock to bring down. Every time I look up in the overhead then down ,Sugars bangs slap me in the face. I am adjusting her all day I feel she is crooked. The girls are not much on working. Sam does pretty well but she is pretty hot.

Remember the lesson I should have learned?  I am at work in a Lowes store wearing a beautiful scarf tied in a twist knot in the back, when I say hello to an associate whom I visit with on occasion. He says “What’s up with the tribal headdress”.  I once again say “chemo”. I wish I could have thought of something clever.

Back to the funny, I still use shampoo!

Tears

 I was asked from a friend after my diagnosis if the colors seemed brighter. Her meaning do I have a new appreciation of life. I had to answer no. I have always had an appreciation for life, maybe my appreciation came from losing a parent at an early age. I was eight when my father died. Where ever the love of life came from I have always know it. What I have not always experienced is the emotion of life.

I have thought, since this journey I have shed many a tear. When someone says “I have shed many of tear.” My first thought is sadness has brought on this emotion. But not in my case, I have shed a tear almost every day. Not crying just getting teary eyed from a wonderful emotion, Love! Love felt from the friend would takes time out of her busy schedule to go to chemo with me, the friend who has called me every day, the little messages left on Facebook, the friend who insists on cleaning our pool, my silly sister who will not stop bringing me gifts, meals, cards, flowers. I could go on and on.

  I feel very privileged to have this emotion. So when you see me have a tear know that I feel your love.