I must apologize for being absent these past couple of days — I came in here to write, and then I neglected to. It’s been a busy week: on Monday my roommate’s girlfriend, who is suffering from advanced terminal cancer (I don’t know all the details on what kind,) and who is current living with us, disappeared in Brooklyn on her way home. Six hours later she turned up, after we’d mustered the support of everyone in our circle of friends look for her. She had fainted on a doorstoop and five hours later a well-meaning soul woke her and called a cab for her to get home.

All sorts of thoughts can rush through your head during this type of situation. At one point we all were certain she was dead, and it really came down to that. She was either dead or alive, and the only thing keeping her from being dead was the kindness of the people, and we just hoped the right person was there for her.

We’d called all the hospitals, we were considering filing a missing persons’ report — but we figured the cops would have as good a chance as we did at finding her, or they wouldn’t give a damn where she was; just file that paper and go to the next call. One of my roommates and I got on our bicycles and scoured all of Williamsburg looking for her near her last known location. Thankfully she made it home soon after that — we got the call on our bikes near the Graham stop on the L, and we raced home. Thank god she made it back.

We’re all so small, and alone, and insignificant, when you really think about it. How can anyone be expected find a person in Brooklyn, really? It’s an impossible task. But it was really nice knowing that so many people came together to help try and find her.

I also want to bring your attention to the blog of another friend of mine, a current cancer fighter himself: Ezra of Fastboy Bicycles. A former dance instructor, resident of Harlem, maker of bicycles, and a really awesome guy. His writing is really inspiring, and well, it’s worth the read.

Teaching Cancer to Cry

Ezra