In the middle of the night east coast time I wasn’t able to sleep so was blogging. A random tweet from Robert Scoble the tech geek blogger flew by and it was about - could it be - peas?
That was dear of him and there is a lot of kindness surrounding me. I fell asleep feeling that warmth. But I didn't get the real shock until today when I woke up to find my name in Scoble's rather famous blog.
He started with a story about the outpouring of support in twitterdom as people have started donnng pea-bedecked avatars in what can only be experienced not really described. Then he melded the idea into a discussion about improving the world.
“Peas?”
"Yeah, peas.
"You gotta understand that peas made Susan Reynolds world a little better (she has breast cancer, is going into surgery on Friday) and people on Twitter are changing their icons to have peas in solidarity with her. She explains the role peas played in her comfort. Susan is someone I’ve followed for years and she has a blog where she’s talking about her experiences with breast cancer."
.
How did we get from a tweet of support from Cathleen the pea Rittereiser, to Connie Reece deciding we needed to put the FUN in fundraising, to Robert Scoble advice on improving the world through peas?
I don't know - I was probably having dye injected into my boob or sitting around in a paper gown while the plot thickened. I'm just glad to have people like this along for the ride no matter how it happened.
But why did it take getting cancer for me to feel closer to humanity? I don't have the answers. But I'm sure seeing the good side of the people who touch my life today.
- They are walking towards me as I talk about the illness, not running away.
- They have restored a faith I had begun to lose in the genuine goodness of people.
- I smile more today than I did a month ago.
Now that's a gift.
I love it when kindness takes on a life of its own! When people do something because they can and not because they should or are told to or feel obligated, but just to show love and support and encouragement.
Posted by: Anna | Dec 18, 2007 at 10:01 PM
Trust me, it's a lot easier to be a peavatarian then to go through what you're going through right now...
Posted by: Ontario Emperor | Dec 19, 2007 at 01:00 AM
You don't know me, I've come through Scoble's blog. I just wanted to say best of luck to you. My mother had breast cancer - we just passed her 35 year anniversary. I hope everything goes really well for you.
Posted by: Zazzy | Dec 19, 2007 at 01:39 AM