LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS......

This is going to be short and sweet.  I have plenty to say.  With a capital P but there are too many loose ends I have to tie up and they are clogging my brain's ability to put together anything that resembles a cohesive sentence.

Life has a funny way of twisting and turning.  I started out blogging with one thought in mind.  Chemobrain, which is NOT funny, until you force it to BE funny, was going to be the heart of this blog.  I suppose on some level it is.  After all, isn't the hallmark of chemobrain doing the mental zig zag?  I don't even want to tell you how many email responses I found on this laptop.  Unsent.  Unfinished because I was distracted by something external.  The UPS guy with my shoes.  Or internal. I really wanted those Louboutin's so let's do the internet hunt.

I want to close out the week by thanking two men.  I'm singling out only these two because they are tied directly to this blog.  And they both had my back when I went on two recent rants.  They deserve recognition and my most sincere thanks.

Close to a month ago, I got irritated with that Pink Speed Dating Event.  The one where they are charging $2500.00 to only eighteen different hand picked Pink Profiteers so those lucky chosen ones can pitch their pink products to I don't know who. I'm still a little confused about that part of the event.  It says they will be pitching their products to "the media" and I'm trying to understand exactly what that means.  For advertising space?  Or are they pitching to some other group of people for a spot on the shelves of some store?  No matter.  The whole thing is a farce.  And guess what?  Registration is closed and they got their eighteen products all lined up.  Maybe someone at NBCC will know something about this.  The event is the day after I get home.  In NYC.

My anonymous "friend" left a comment that I did not appreciate when I tried to expose that event as the epitome of what I believe to be disgraceful cause marketing.  I felt like I was being berated by said anonymous friend.  I shut up and I didn't even reply to my buddies who commented on that blog entry.  I chose to stay out of the fray.  It's not like me to let the responses go without acknowledging them.  When someone leaves a comment, I don't know about blog etiquette, but my human being etiquette says, "If someone took their precious time to leave a comment, it's proper for me to acknowledge the comment."  I'm grateful when I see comments and I want to share my gratitude.  Maybe a "real blogger" isn't supposed to do that.... and if that's the case, so be it.  I'm sticking to my values and my beliefs.  I'm not about to start molding myself to fit any prearranged notion.

Because the comments are always open and unmoderated and because I've allowed anyone to post (even "anonymously") there could have been a war of words between me and the person who chose to have some pretty strong opinions but not the backbone to man up and identify him or herself.  Some very close blog buddies jumped to my defense.  Weeks went by and I noticed another comment pop up on that particular post.  It was from a man.  And it was a man who has breast cancer.  We happen to have a family friend who is a male breast cancer patient so I am quite conscious of the fact that men DO get breast cancer.  Oftentimes, when I'm writing and I type "women," I am thinking (and men, too) but by and large breast cancer in men is what you might call an orphan disease.  I'm thinking I may start typing wo(men) as a reminder to anyone reading that we wo(men) do not own the rights of exclusivity to the disease that is Breast Cancer.

Huge digression.  Ultimately, I DID respond to his comment on that post.  It takes guts (just my opinion) for a man to comment on what is primarily a bitch blog and walk right into the midst of what might have turned into a cat fight and it is especially gutsy when the comment begins with the words, "as one of the few men with breast cancer......"  Not only was I exceptionally touched by his willingness to share some of his experiences, he signed his name.  His full name.  His parting words were to anonymous:  GFY.  The man has my back on that one.  I am so appreciative.  It was unexpected.  And it deserves a public thank you.  Charles, a true gentleman.  And yes, gentlemen can, do and SHOULD feel free to use the "F" word, particularly when jumping to the defense of a woman.

The other man I want to thank also had my back when I got pissed off.  He jumped in when I was sharing my blog about those two french guys who started that Boobstagram thing.  I was having a twitter conversation with another woman.  She had a link to the pink PORN bus.  We were trading stories about pinkverts.  Does that require a definition?  You know I like to make up words.  I can't claim that as my own.  I read it somewhere.  Pinkvert=Pervert who finds a way to use breast cancer because sex sells.  The pinkverts are to the sex end of this gig what the pink cap wearing volunterrorists are to the cause marketing side of the gig.  Can't claim THAT word either.  They are both pretty witty words, don't you think?

The twitter exchange between a new woman friend and I was picked up by a man who, in 140 characters, managed to share that he was somewhat stunned at the stupidity of the boobstagram thing.  The next morning, I was copied in on a tweet with a link to a blog.  This is GENIUS and I want to thank HIM for not only stepping out about HIS testicular cancer but for taking that cancer and doing a side by side ..... never mind.. you simply have to read it for yourself.  And I have to say thank you because he took the time to quote some of the things I said in my rant.  And I LOVE his rant.  It's a great companion piece.  Definitely another ballsy maneuver.  So thank you, Jeff Fecke for reminding us it's not about saving body parts but it's about saving PEOPLE.  Saving LIVES.  And thank you for having my back.