Dark Spots

Friend Ellie just spent 3 days with us. We went to Santa Barbara High School together a billion years ago (well, in the 50's), also began UCSB at the same time. She's a very direct, outspoken, fun person with lots of energy, a retired elementary school teacher.

Patrick, Ellie and I had lunch on Tuesday with Dennis, another classmate who Ellie stays in touch with. He reminded us that he was the youngest compared to E. and I. Altho' I barely remember Dennis from school, it was fun getting together. We sat on the balcony at Brophy Brothers for a 3 hour lunch, it was a beautiful day.

Toward the end of the afternoon, Dennis confided that he had a doctor's appointment the next day -- it was to discuss the dark spot on his lung that an x-ray had revealed. It brought up a whole lot, including my own dark spot.

At our last high school reunion last year I wanted to stand up in the middle of the picnic area on Sunday and scream: OK, everyone, time to rip off your disguises. You, over there, off with the white wig. John, you don't wear horned rim glasses to read! Time to slip off all that wrinkled skin, everybody. Stop this kidding around, it's not funny!

I wanted to...

So there are dark spots that we have to acknowledge and move on. They may be serious or just a bumpy place in our road. Everyone has them. It's how we handle those spots in our lives.

About five years ago two women that I knew developed inoperable cancer at the same time. Tairi was most concerned about telling me that she had a limited time to live, so upset, knowing how I'd feel.

Diana was impatient and cold when I called her to express my condolences, saying that I didn't know what to say. She growled back, "Well, then, why did you call?"

The spots in our lives.