Shallow and meaningless.
So today I went into the Surfer magazine offices. If you have never been, they are located atop a hillock very near Palomar airport some three or four miles from the beach and two or three miles from a PF Chang’s pan-Chinese restaurant outlet famous for orange peel chicken, soy dipped lettuce wraps and girl’s night out.
The Surfer offices are mixed in with other titles owned by The Enthusiast Network in a maze-like space that is very difficult to navigate. I got lost and was forced to walk back and forth near a wall and a break room that smelled like microwave popcorn until being saved by a good friend who took me the right way.
We passed Grant Ellis’ (the magazine’s famed photo editor. Look at his gorgeous work here!) work space and he happened to be there, working, so I stuck my head in and thanked him for saving my life. Last I had seen him, he had a large stitched cut on his forehead. “Cancer” he told me and described the symptoms which I shared on my chest.
Now, the large stitched cut is a perfect scar that blends in with his forehead wrinkle. “I had mine done by an ex-military plastic surgeon…” he said making me jealous.
“Well, you saved my life…” I responded. “I’m getting my cancer cut out tomorrow. It’s one of those basal cell ones.”
“Hmmm.” He hummed. “Mine was a squamous cell. The basal cell is sort of on the surface, squamous cell is deeper and a little more serious and then there’s a melanoma which is more serious still.”
I suddenly felt very sheepish. Of course I have the shallowest cancer. Of course Grant Ellis’ is deeper and more serious.
Yes, he judged my cancer and it was found wanting. Tomorrow it shall be gone. We’re born, we die. C’est la vie.
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No (thankfully only MCL) that’s just my prediction for Chas
Congrats on the spelling of c’est la vie Chas! France appreciates the effort.
I also have the shallow cancer, when is the appropriate time to stop milking the cancer card?
Is it measured in hours or days?
Until death tear us apart
We all must be judged by the cancers we grow.
Basal cell? Could of just burnt that out with a lit cigarette
this made me laugh. also, i’m eating salad which isn’t very funny so thanks for that.
Ohhh why couldn’t Morgan get the cancer….
ashton doesn’t let him go outside very often
Sheeeeeit. I have four of those scars. You’ll be Ok Charlie.
Its true. We squameous cell survivors are a little elitist. But not in a petty way.
Surfing broke your shoulder.
Surfing broke a hole in your chest.
Shit happens in threes.
What of yours will Surfing break next?
My heart. And Grant Ellis just did.
The wave pool didn’t break your heart first?
I’m not sure you’re off the hook quite that easy. That was Surfer, not surfing.
Hell you’re right. My career?
A career break? Fuck that’s anti-depressive glass half full shit right there bub!
So I can’t help but stress the importance of getting checked out. Takes a short time at a dermatologist and it could save your life. I go once a year and only have had the privilege of having 2 chunks dug out of my back to run a biopsy. So far no bad shit. Get checked
Cheer up, with your lack of melanin and the amount of sun exposure you’ve experienced in your life, there’s a decent chance you’ll end up with a more serious, deeper shall we say, form of skin cancer at some point in your life.
ACL tear