I just have to tell this story because I haven't really told a story in a while. The "C card" is what my family and I call it when I use my cancer to get what I want or to make a point. It really is quite powerful, and honestly I don't use it often. My sister Andrea has said that she would use it a lot more if she were me. As a matter of fact, she has used my "C card" to get what she wants once or twice in the past. Oh well, I'm here to help. Really, I'm not making light of this and I hope those who know me, know that I never would.
So on with the story. I was out at a party a couple of nights ago at restaurant where we were seated outside. A man eating a few tables away was smoking a big cigar as well as a member of our group. The man sitting across from us complained to the waiter that even though we are outside this is still a restaurant and by law no one should be smoking around people who are eating. Besides that, his wife gets sick from smelling cigar smoke. The waiter got the owner who made light of it. Then a man who was sitting one chair away from me said that they should lighten up because he never smoked but never minded people smoking around him. He said that one could breath second hand smoke their whole life and never get cancer. With that, the restaurant owner offered this man a cigar and even though he was not a smoker, he said yes he would like one!
That was the last straw. I turned to Steve and just said, "Can I use the card?" He said, "Go ahead." I could see that the couple was very upset and frankly, I had been getting very congested from the smoke that was already in the air-I did not need this man to light up next to me! I excused myself for butting in and explained to the man that I am a cancer survivor. I told him that I had lymphoma in my lungs and that my lungs were left scarred from my cancer and it's treatment, and that I did not appreciate people smoking around me especially where smoking is not allowed. He apologized and I further explained that we may not be able to tell how much second hand smoke will cause a person cancer and that you don't know the person's situation who sitting next to you.
Needless to say, he did not light up. I smiled at my new friends across the table and said, "It works every time."
