I don't know how David Carradine's character got the nickname "Grasshopper" on the TV series Kung Fu, but I can imagine an energetic youngster jumping around with the impulsiveness of youth and needing the steadying hand of his sensei to calm him down. Now, I don't have the energy or impulsiveness of youth, but, I have to admit, I am not the most patient person in this world. My wife always has thought I was impulsive but I always just considered myself a "quick study" who was able to get rid of the chaff and quickly find the kernel of the issue. No sense getting paralyzed by too much analyses or over-thinking. If your going to do it anyway, do it now --why waste the time?
I woke up at 4:30 this morning anticipating my 9:30 infusion appointment - the first in a series to receive the drugs which would kick off my internal war against cancer, rev up my immune system to attack the tumors and start down the path that will, hopefully, extend the time I have with family and friends here on earth.
Then I got the news that instead of starting today, my therapy will have to be delayed a couple of weeks. Apparently there were some logistical issues with how some of the pre-study tissue analysis was handled, so it has to be repeated -- a time-consuming process requiring more tumor tissue. The word "Bummer" was not the first expletive I thought of.
Perhaps this is a lesson -- "Patience, Grasshopper!"
Like all the challenges faced by Odysseus trying to get back to Ithaca, a two week delay to start therapy is the challenge thrown up in front of me as an opportunity to demonstrate my strength, learn patience and practice calmness. Even in the midst of frustration.
On my walk today the oft-used, but appropriate invocation came to me:
Grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change,
The strength to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the difference
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