Friday, March 20, 2009

Taboo things

Ever since I've been diagnosed with cancer my language has usage has changed a bit. Sort of reminds me how I have always kept my swearing in check because I'm a teacher. (Always trying to be the good model of acceptable language!) So when I do swear, those who know me well, know that I'm really MAD, FRUSTRATED or PISSED OFF! Using or not using Swear words hasn't changed for me....but those phrases that involve death, dying, killing and cancer have suddened ceased coming out of my mouth. You know what I'm talking about....phrases like "The wait is killing me!" or "I'm dying to see that new show." or "I just about died laughing." I used to call the little sweetner tablets "cancer pills" for my coffee. Yes, those phrases were about to come out but they stopped in my mouth and were immediately swapped for a similar phrase without the fatal reference. As for those little sweetners...I'm hardly drinking coffee now and when I do I'm using unrefined brown sugar. (I have one little cup a day...for my pleasure, not my health.) Another taboo....on facebook & on email I filled out two different "bucket lists" several weeks ago before my diagnosis. If you are not familiar with these lists, they are a list of activities, travel destinations and life experiences that a person "should" do before they "kick the bucket" (a phrase meaning "to die"). Well on BOTH of the lists I had experienced, travelled to, or had done nearly everything on the list! At the time I felt a little odd...now, if I think about it too much, I'm a little freaked out. WHY did I fill out those lists? A few friends had agreed with me that both lists were rather lame, incomplete. There are SO MANY things to do in life...they can't possibly be put on a list to be emailing around cyber space! I'm never going to fill one of those out again!

This morning two of my English teaching colleagues are coming by...May and Maria. Each has taken over one of my classes. We need to talk about a few things and I have a bag of stuff to give to them to use with MY kids! (oh how I miss my regular life!) Looking forward to the short visit...so maybe I should get dressed now!

Thank you for all the emails and comments!
I appreciate each one of them! :-)

2 comments:

Marie said...

Hi Carolo, Sending love and prayers to you!. All your Posty Pals are in thought for you.Hugs to you and the family, Marie

Nancy said...

It is amazing how many words and phrases that we use we don't think of what the meaning is until the meaning actually means something..... does that make sense????

Carol, could you please send me your address? Thanks hon.