I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Wow! I can not tell you all how much I missed Head Cases and also how amazing my trip was! Not to worry, all the stories, pictures and such will be coming in the following days. Rome is beyond words. If you have not been try to go in this lifetime. Beyond my travels, I must also mention how tremendously overwhelmed I was by the comments, emails and messages from you Head Casers. Some of you old friends, some cyberspace strangers. During my trip I was once again brought face to face with why I do HC, my ailment (read below if you are unaware). Some in my life have said that I am "amazing" or "courageous" or other similar adjectives but to be honest I see myself as nothing of the sort.

Bare with me here while I get slightly sentimental from my usual overbearing sarcastic tone.

In life, we are dealt whatever cards chance happens to give. Some on the lucky spectrum get the high paying face cards, royally flushing their days through life. Others piece together a full house the best way they can. But with all that we are dealt, how are we supposed to make the best full deck possible? (I know I know enough with the cheesy analogy) Well here's what I've deduced: A random acquaintance pinned it best by saying "If you're not living your life like art, you're not living at all."

No matter what your belief system or stance in life, every human on the planet has CHOICE. You can CHOOSE who you surround yourself with, how you look at the world, the kind of person you want to be. I'm not going to lie, at times living in a perpetual state of pain gets impeccably hard. Harder than I let on, harder than I sometimes want to admit. But I can CHOOSE to live, or I can CHOOSE to be plagued by something rare, seemingly incurable and then that would make me a quitter. I don't like that label.

I also don't like "victim" because I'm not. I'm not an optimist necessarily either I've just been to the other side of the spectrum and know it SUCKS. I also know how powerful we are as people and what we are capable of overcoming, no matter what naysayers say.

If nothing else, I hope my trials, shared stories and anecdotes continue to serve as a reference for just one person to say, "Hey if she can, I can" Because I'm no superhero, I'm trying just as hard as the next....I just happen to be a little more quick witted ;P