Two Firsts - Only One Happened

I was scheduled to begin radiation yesterday with an appointment time of 4:10pm. It isn’t anything cool like becoming Spiderman or the Hulk, however it is still life-changing. I had gone on to work and had a fine day. Came home exhausted and was asleep before a whole two minutes had passed from my taking off my shoes. I took my nap, woke up, fixed dinner, and hopped in the shower. I had strict instructions to wash off all traces of deodorant.

*Side note* Do not use deodorant with aluminum…it contributes to Alzheimer’s Disease as well as places a substance in your bloodstream you just do not need. I Googled “aluminum free deodorants” and found some that rated better than others. I went to WalMart, because that always brings me such joy, and they actually did carry Tom’s Aluminum-Free deodorant. I opted for the lavender version. I will let you know…

Anyway, I took my shower, got dressed and headed over to the hospital for my first radiation treatment. Big Daddy met me there and we sat and talked for about an hour and fifteen minutes while we waited. They had told us when we walked in that they were running behind, so it was not a surprise to still be sitting there that much past my appointment time. However, this was also the first night of my photography class at UK and class was to begin at 5:30. Now, if you live in a metro area, you understand rush hour. However, if you live in Lexington and are trying to get anywhere between the hours of 4pm and 6pm, then you know why our city ranks so high among “road rage”, “vehicular homicide”, and “suicide-by-merging” statistics. The time was 5:10pm and Big Daddy told them we had to leave. It was just that simple. Sometimes I forget how simple things can be…and he reminds me, and it’s nice.

We left the hospital without having my first dose of radiation. I followed behind him in my vehicle because I have directional issues. I can (and have) become lost in our neighborhood. We have lived there for ten years. I can get completely turned around and go in circles for days. Put it this way…whatever way I am facing is North. It doesn’t make sense to you, but I totally get it. So, I followed Big Daddy onto the university campus and he deposited me into the appropriate parking lot. He left and I headed into the building as the clock ticked 5:30. As I walked in, I noticed all kinds of things one would not typically associate with photography or graphic art. I saw music stands, instruments, and those great, big drums you could hide small children in. As I retrieved my color-coded map, I heard someone singing opera. Ummmm… Ok. I perused my map and even though I was convinced I was in the right place, I asked someone anyway. He took me back to the door I had come in through and pointed to the building across the quad. Oh. I was in the wrong building. Imagine that.

Went across the quad to the other building and asked two more people where the “little library” was and finally found it. Time? 5:37pm. I hate being late. The class was full up front (which is where us nerds like to sit), so I had to take a seat toward the back of the room. The instructor had already begun, of course, and even though I was not the only one to come in late, I felt like I was. The instructor was nice and we did all the “logging in” to this, that, and the other and we later introduced ourselves. My turn came around and I said my name and the type of camera I have and then I threw out there that, while chic, I actually wore the head wrap because I am undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for cancer. I mentioned Big Daddy and how he is the one who believes in my photography and believes in me. I guess I was thinking if the class liked Big Daddy, then maybe they would like me by default.

The instructor “oooohed” as I said my type of camera, and I loved that. AS I mentioned, this is a professional camera and it makes me feel so special to have one. Canon has not even distributed the informational cd-rom for this camera yet because it is so new. YAY!!! Anyway, since I had mentioned that Big Daddy had given me the camera, I wanted everyone to know that the camera he gave me was the best there is…just like him. Everyone else introduced themselves, but no one had a camera even close to the caliber of mine. I loved that, too.

Basically, the class was slow for me as I knew the basics already and had already joined Flickr (yes, I spelled it right), and knew how to work a Mac. I helped the guy next to me and that made me feel good. I made friends with him and the lady across from me. There was one weird guy in the class, as I guess is the requirement. My two new friends and I worked on the homework and exchanged contact info. I cannot put into words what being in a class for the sole purpose of learning does to my heart. I do not need the credit hours. I am not meeting some graduation requirement. I am there for the sake of learning. I love being on a university campus and being part of an intellectual community. It is stimulating to me…it makes me want to do great things, achieve tremendous goals, and of course, contribute to society in some personal, legacy-leaving way.

I asked my new friend if I could follow her out because I did not know how to get home and she said yes. It was at this point that the instructor realized our class was to begin at 5:30, not 5, and so I wasn't as late as I had thought. Class was over and I headed home. I felt great and anxious to expand my knowledge of something I love…photography. Even though Big Daddy had not been with me physically during the class, he was definitely with me in my heart. I had sent him a text message saying how happy I was and how excited the class was to me and I just thanked him for this opportunity. He wrote back and said that he loved me more than I would ever, ever know or be able to understand. Considering how much I love him, that’s enormous.

I saved the text.