"Be Obscure Clearly" -- e.b.white

Saturday night. I have felt better today...the end of the week, at the end of a chemo cycle. Tuesday, Round 2. Acupuncture is helping ease some of the symptoms. No, it's not painful...it's very comforting and helpful. I love my acupuncture doctor. She's so kind and so gentle.
I was thinking about my time on "the cold chemical". Walking around with a coat, gloves (vintage; flower pattern), scarves, and earmuffs definitely set me apart from the "regular folks". Even when the weather turned warm, I was still in my heavy wool coat with full winter accessories. Needless to say, this attracted attention. People either ignored me or pretended to ignore me or they would stare for a long time and walk away or ask "if a cold front was 'coming in'." Here are a couple of my favorite stories.
On one of those warmer days, I decided it was time to buy a straw hat. what with summer coming, I needed one more accessory -- one to help protect myself from the sun...as if. I live in New Mexico. I walked into Ross. Now Ross Dress for Less attracts a cross section of our population. I actually believed I fit right in. While doing "the stroll", to see if there were any bargains, I encountered people staring, people changing aisles (is it the pink earmuffs or just me?) I was heading back to the hat area and spotted a wicker shopping cart. It was crammed into a shelf, loaded with stuff. I dug through the junk and found it to be in perfect condition. Just what I needed. I could use it at the house as well as carting my stuff to the cancer center. Trust me, as I pulled out into the main aisle, my fellow shoppers cleared the aisles.
I "wheeled" into the hat area. A lady commented (giving me wide berth) on how large the hats were...wondering why they couldn't make a smaller size....all the while, she never took her eyes off of me. I was looking at the hats and said, "o! here's one that is smaller." I turned to show her and she was gone. Like disappeared. I grabbed my cart and my hat and headed to the front of the store. I needed a mirror to check out this "perfectly sized hat". I put my purse into the cart and put my hat on. Then...I looked in the mirror and burst out laughing. It fit all right...it was a Disney hat - embellished with a plastic heart of Ariel, Cinderella and Belle right on the front of the hat. How I wished Molly had been with me. I bought it. Who wouldn't? Pink earmuffs and a Disney hate. Priceless.
A couple of weeks ago, we went to Whole Foods. I was all decked out in my "ski gear" and my purple earmuffs my mom gave me. As I was walking in, a man was looking directly at me. He said, "well, it is a little chilly out today." (80 degrees). He looked like someone who wanted to know - really know. I told him I took a drug that made me cold. He told us he had heart problems and had just returned from upstate NY - and how he was cold all of the time and how miserable he felt. He then told us his wife had been through cancer/chemo/radiation. We bonded...over purple earmuffs. He got it.
There really isn't a story with this..but when I flew to Oklahoma/Kansas, I had to fly through Phoenix. As I got off the plane, everyone was dressed for summer. Flip flops, shorts, tank tops....I walk off with two scarves, a wool coat, pink earmuffs and black gloves. Adults would not make eye contact with me, however the kids - staring and pointing and so intrigued by my earmuffs. "Don't stare honey."
I wouldn't wish this drug on anyone - anymore than I would wish cancer on anyone, but there is always something funny in the most difficult of situations....
Now I'm still wondering about the music professor at Friends University....I hope my brother has filled him in on the person with the blanket and purple earmuffs. : )
Have a good Sunday,
love kathryn