I used to be a punk. A snarling green-haired Fugazi and Bikini Kill listening punk. I would freely quote Bukowski and Henry Rollins. Now I read J. Crew catalogs and buy organic produce. Did I lose my edge when I started having to pay my own taxes and worry about the interest rates of my student loans? Or did my gap khaki’s (made in Thailand!) suck my sense of anarchy out from under me?
Neither.
I thought very hard about this for awhile. For me, being a punk isn’t about listening to a certain type of music or wearing a particular style of clothing. It is about activism and true to your beliefs. It is about creating a change when something pisses you off versus standing on the sidelines and complaining about it. It’s the DIY attitude that makes a difference.
Now that I’ve gone off on a tangent, fair reader, you are probably wondering what does this have to do with Andy and my situation. Well, I’ve done my research. I can list a plethora of places for people to find support for breast cancer, prostate cancer, leukemia, etc. That’s great. People in those situations need support. But there seems to be little support for those with Hodgkins. That bugs me. I can’t tell you how many people have told me, “Oh Hodgkins? That’s the easy cancer!” And that, my readers, annoys me. It’s still cancer. You still have to go through chemotherapy and sometimes radiation. You lose your hair, you get tired more easily, your white blood cell count takes a beating. And like any other medical treatment, if you don’t have health insurance it’s nearly impossible to afford treatment. It sucks and there is nothing easy about it. I am all for fundraising but please ribbons and wrist bracelets are so overplayed. Mark Beemer, a punk rock photographer had the right idea when he started the Syrenthia Savio Endowment. As a tribute to his late wife who succumbed to breast cancer, it raises money for those fighting the disease who are uninsured. But instead of your normal run of the mill merchandise, it offers a range of things from t-shirts to pajamas to coffee table books, with the proceeds benefiting SSE. It is a collaboration between Beemer and various bands who donate designs in support of the endowment.
Now, my fair readers, why can’t we get something like this for Hodgkins awareness and support? In the words of Beemer, “though we are young- we have a mighty roar.”
