Close to home

The past week has been an interesting one. My activist focus has shifted, temporarily, away from cancer & LIVESTRONG and focused on Anti-Semitism and Education & Development for young Jews in light of a recent incident in my home town. In my blog, "Why is This Spray Paint Different From All Other Spray Paints?" I speak about how issues that were relatively removed, though very important to me, are now hitting close to home.

The same week, cancer has been lurking close to home, as well. More will be revealed in the next week or two, but it strikes me as odd that two of our greatest fears as people - an illness that can kill us from within, silently, and without much notice and illogical hatred of who we are and about something we cannot control - are prevalent in my day-to-day thoughts.

It stands as a reminder that there is so much out of our control, and it takes so little to strip away every sense of safety and security that we have. One burst of spray paint, one letter in the mail, and our lives are turned upside down and has us wondering if we'll ever be safe again.

I guess that's the point at which we either become victims or survivors, isn't it? When we aren't just talking about what we would do in that situation, but when it is shoved in our face and we can't turn away. It's right or left, and you can't choose to walk away.

I can say with certainty that I'm fighting like a rabid dog against the Anti-Semitic act that has rocked our little town. My teeth are sunk in to the gums, and with every tug, my jaws are clamping down harder.

We'll see about the rest. But, for now, I have my fight and I'm ready to hit the mats.