I first knew for sure that I had cancer on Dec. 5. That night, I was in the shower with everything playing in my head, when I started laughing. Don't worry; this was not the laugh where you'd speak to me in that hyper calm voice while the big guys with the straight jacket and the syringe of happy drugs sneak up behind me. It was just that a truly funny thought had popped into my mind and I had to laugh.
Let me back up. Way up. I had read the book The Princess Bride back in college, before it was a movie. I loved that book. It's a wonderful book about true love, plain and simple. True love on a whole bunch of levels, but true love nonetheless. It is FUNNY. Not in a slap-stick way, but in a gentle, beautiful, sophisticated and glorious way. In the book, there is a character named Inigo Montoya. He is a self-taught swordsman who has had one focus since he was a little boy: avenge his father's death. A 6-fingered villain had killed the father in front of his young son, but had spared the son's life. Now, he has grown into that young man focused like a laser beam on hunting down and killing his father's murderer. Throughout the book (and the film), he repeats what has become his mantra, "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." He says it very matter of factly, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that the bad guy would indeed meet his death.
Let me back up. Way up. I had read the book The Princess Bride back in college, before it was a movie. I loved that book. It's a wonderful book about true love, plain and simple. True love on a whole bunch of levels, but true love nonetheless. It is FUNNY. Not in a slap-stick way, but in a gentle, beautiful, sophisticated and glorious way. In the book, there is a character named Inigo Montoya. He is a self-taught swordsman who has had one focus since he was a little boy: avenge his father's death. A 6-fingered villain had killed the father in front of his young son, but had spared the son's life. Now, he has grown into that young man focused like a laser beam on hunting down and killing his father's murderer. Throughout the book (and the film), he repeats what has become his mantra, "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." He says it very matter of factly, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that the bad guy would indeed meet his death.
I swear, the line just popped in, apropos of nothing, but it was just a bit different. "Hello My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my rectum. Prepare to die." And it as that that made me laugh out loud in the shower.
Inigo finally finds the man who killed his father after a 20 year search. Then he ruthlessly, coldly and efficiently executes the villain who has taken so much from him. If you've not seen the movie, please keep in mind this is a movie with a great deal of humor to it.
Inigo finally finds the man who killed his father after a 20 year search. Then he ruthlessly, coldly and efficiently executes the villain who has taken so much from him. If you've not seen the movie, please keep in mind this is a movie with a great deal of humor to it.
So, you see why this line popped into my mind? The focus, the determination, the planning and preparation, the execution, literally and figuratively. Yep, that's it, I thought. Then, after watching this clip, I scrolled down, noticed the funny name of an interviewer in another related clip, and I can't tell you why, but I clicked on it and watched it. And this is when I got a serious chill.
It was weird. For him, this film was about his father and his fight with cancer. It was a losing fight, but a fight. Now don't panic here. I am not about to lose this one. I ain't even close, so quit that right now, OK? OK. Now, come back with me to when I'm laughing in the shower, and when this line pops into my mind about dealing with The Little Bastard unbidden. And then within a few minutes of that, I hear what the actor kept thinking of as he made the film - cancer. Oooh, weee, oooh (that's my approximation of eery music)!
At the end of the clip, Mandy Patinkin says the meaningful line for him at the time, 20+ years ago was this; "I have been in the revenge business so long, now that it's over, I do not know what to do with the rest of my life."
I will be in the revenge business like Inigo, with focus, determination, planning, preparation, and execution. Looks like about a year for this fight, not the 20 that Inigo endured. But when it's over, you can bet your life that I'll know just what to do with the rest of mine!
God Bless!!!
At the end of the clip, Mandy Patinkin says the meaningful line for him at the time, 20+ years ago was this; "I have been in the revenge business so long, now that it's over, I do not know what to do with the rest of my life."
I will be in the revenge business like Inigo, with focus, determination, planning, preparation, and execution. Looks like about a year for this fight, not the 20 that Inigo endured. But when it's over, you can bet your life that I'll know just what to do with the rest of mine!
God Bless!!!
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