Don't Call it a Comeback, It's Been Seven Days

MONDAY, Feb. 9
Exactly seven days since my first treatment. And lo and behold, I feel normal again. I was told I'd have one week "on" and one week "off" as I undergo chemo every other Monday through the Ides of March. But I doubted I'd ever feel normal again after this week of unholy fatiguery. Less than 24 hours ago, I was luggage after 42 minutes of light activity. Today, I actually attempted to take Vito for a walk around the loop (it'll come as no shock to anyone that he's the one who had to turn back).

I feel "on" again, just like they said I would. One week. Seven days. Like clockwork.

It got me thinking about that whole "changing every seven years" concept. I'm sure you've heard it here and there. For me, it's usually come up as a casual Q&A:

Q: Why the f*&$ am I breaking out like a MF teenager?!

A: Well, your hormones change every seven years, didn't you know that, etc.

I've always believed this on some level, actually all levels -- not just hormonal ones. Intervals just make sense to me: happiness, misery, mental energy, physical energy, creativity, hormones, luck, love, lust, etc.: intervals. And seven sounds like a decent odd number -- intervally speaking.

Thoughts turned to Feb. 2002 when the proverbial shit was hitting the fan all over the place. But I have to say, the time and space between then and now has been pretty fantastic for me. Things have been rolling along quite smoothly. So, it's high time to shake things up?

Apparently the guru on this whole "seven years" dillybag is a philosopher (or heathen, depending upon your perspective) named Rudolph Steiner. He wrote that "without some smattering of these [seven year] changes, it is difficult for anyone to understand the relationship of any given individual with his or her environment." Translation (I think): It's impossible to have any perspective on anything without a little sea change every now and then.


Aside: This is not going to devolve into a discussion on the mysteries of the universe. If you want to read more about Steiner and his spiritual philosophy, you can find more info here and here.

Anyway, the website I was looking at broke life down into paragraphs by age intervals (i.e. birth-age 7, 7-14, 14-21, etc.) I thought it was cool. If you're a total geek, you'll probably think it's cool too. Otherwise, please skip it. Apparently, you not only undergo emotional and mental changes every seven years, but also physical ones - all the way down to the cellular level.

Ages 35-42 (paraphrasing): A time of restlessness and a desire to share what one has gained and learned through life thus far. A time of creativity, break through and modification. (Perhaps even of the emotions, the bad habits, the DNA that turned my good cells bad and formed the Jamaican Dog Posse in my left boob).

Seven Songs for Seven Years
To pay tribute to this seven years thingy, I was going to try to do something similar to "25 Things" that by now everyone on earth has completed or has been tagged to complete. I was going to try to list my "7 songs" and ask that you do the same. But then I realized that would be a sadistic exercise even for people who don't worship the music. So, maybe a daily playlist of 7 songs, an offering up of sorts, insurance that if the times/the cells/they are a changin' that they are a changin' in our favor.

I’ll try (try!) to post a "7 Songs of the Day" playlist every day or at least attach one to the end of a longer post. It can mean something or nothing, its baseline peripatetic or dreamy. Doesn't matter. And feel free to email me yours. I’ll post with full credit (if you want it). It'll be fun. Not to mention, you never know when you'll find yourself in a giant body scanner with your arms stuck up over your head.

7 Songs of the Day

1. I’m so Tired - The Beatles
2. 15 step - Radiohead
3. Accentuate the Positive - Sir Roland Hanna & Carrie Smith
4. Things Behind the Sun - Nick Drake
5. Keep me in Mind - Little Joy
6. Violet Hill - Coldplay
7. Fugitive Kind - Paul Westerberg

P.S. to BG: It's a Nickelback-free zone. And you know I say that with only love for you.