Me and Taylor went to Hampton tonight with my dad and my stepmom and walked to raise money for research for Kidney Disease. I'm doing it again next week in Portsmouth. The week after that, I'll be in Norfolk at Harbor Park walking for breast cancer research.

It's kinda weird, because after all this time, after having four tumors taken out, finding a hole in my heart and basically spending more time in the hospital in the last few years than most people do in their lifetimes, I know that there's something I can do. There are always going to be sick people. There's nothing we can do about it. We're human, so we get human diseases.

I feel like I've been really lucky, though. I'm still breathing, my heart is still beating, I have two arms and two legs and I can walk. Some people might say that I suffer from brain damage , but that's the worst of it.

When I was in CHKD the last time, I saw a little kid who lost all of his hair. His face was swollen and one of his eyes was closed. It sucked, because I could tell that he was fighting for his life. I have no idea how he is, or if he's even alive today. I hope he is, and I hope he's cancer free.

I guess the thing I'm trying to say is, I have no right not to do something. We live in a world where anything can happen, and any of us could be stricken with a horrible disease. What was it that made that kid get so sick, but gave me a pass? Why not me?

I know I'm babbling on, and this isn't exactly a cheery post. But I guess it's not supposed to be.

I have an appointment on Monday with my hemotologist. It's just a follow up, but my dad wants to make sure he looks at the bruise I got on my shin. I think he's being silly, but I know deep down that it's because he cares. Me and my stepmom just roll our eyes at him when he acts like this, and he gets all pushed out of shape.

One of the best things about tonight wasn't about walking for a good cause. I think one of the best things about tonight was getting to spend some time with my dad and not fighting with him. We didn't argue about my hair, or about cutting my hours at work. We just walked and talked about normal, everyday things. Like how the Cowboys almost lost to the Bills on Monday. And about rebuilding our deck in the back yard. Of course, Taylor and my stepmom talked about Days of our lives the whole time. He's such a woman.

So anyway, the walk didn't end until nine. Then it was a nightmare getting out of the parking lot we were in because about a zillion other people were trying to go out the same way we were. :pickaxe: :pickaxe: Once we got out of there, we sat in tunnel traffic for another fifteen minutes. :nuke: :nuke: So maybe next week we'll look for a better place to park.

So yeah. I know this post doesn't make a lot of sense, but who cares?