I once met a marginally famous author. The experience was underwhelming and unimpressive. This person had a great online persona—they had best-selling books, wrote engaging articles, interacted with readers and maintained a great digital presence. But the truth is, they weren’t a great person. They were arrogant and off-putting. This person was great at Facebook, not at life. That experience was a turning point for me. It left me upset and uncertain. Until that point, this person was a sort-of […]
Archive | Cancer
The Power of Our Scars
When I was a kid, I walked in front of a seesaw swing. The metal corner of the swing caught my left cheekbone, split the skin and knocked me unconscious. I’m pretty sure seesaw swings are outlawed now and if we’d been the litigious type we could have settled with the manufacturer for damages. But I guess some scars don’t make you rich. I still have a vague recollection of the trauma—the bloody shirt of the man who carried me […]
The Day I Was Told I Had Cancer
Yesterday was one of those days. A day so heavy, I could hardly stomach the reality I was facing. For the past few months, my wife has been asking me to go see a dermatologist to get my skin checked. It seemed like such a waste of time. Besides, it’s something I had already done a few years ago. But despite my hard-headed nature, especially when it comes to doctors, I decided to comply with my wife’s request. My dermatologist happens […]