LLS Man/Woman of the Year Journey

…would appreciate your indulgence. I was challenged by LLS to send a post describing how I first got involved with LLS, and what it means to me to participate in the Man/Woman of the Year campaign. It would have been easy to type a few generic or cliché answers, some mildly inspirational thoughts, hit “send” and move on with my day. After all, I’m a busy guy right?…stuff to do…important things to take care of. The reality is that I haven’t been able to take my mind off of this campaign for more than a few hours at a time for months, so I’m not going to “phone-in” this request. My FIRST experience with LLS was in 1993 as a Team-in-Training participant for the New York City Marathon. I raised a few dollars, ran the 5 boroughs, and called it a day (although I wore my training t-shirt for years…it was my favorite). Ironically, six years later I would find myself a recipient of the same dollars for which I was previously fundraising, having been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I got a little selfish at that point, or at least self-absorbed, and spent much more time thinking about “me” than I did about others. Cut to 2016, and a (now) 51-year old man who has had some time to reflect. And, it was that reflection that helped uncover and bring to life the many reasons why I accepted the nomination to participate in the campaign. I’d like to share some of them with you, in no particular order. 1) I am afraid to die…have been haunted by it for years…and, as I begin walking down the Back 9 of life, I’m keenly aware of the limited time I have left…what I have and haven’t done in my life…the example I want to set for my boys, Tyler and Cameron, and the legacy I want to leave behind for them and future generations…and supporting this mission plays a big role in all of that. 2) My experience with cancer is unimaginable compared to some who have also had it, and pales in comparison to others’ journeys. Regardless of the magnitude of each person’s battle, it is awful…just awful…and I never want my kids or anyone else’s kids to ever have to worry about it or suffer from it. 3) Call it “survivor guilt” or perhaps just a general sense of interest, need and/or responsibility to give back. I want to support an organization and mission that have made such a profound impact on my life. 4) I wanted to be a part of something that was bigger than me and infinitely more important than my normal day-to-day. I’ve not been shy about asking you for support, because I’m not asking you to do it for me. I want you to do it for our Boy and Girl of the year - Matthew Hauser and Delany Farren, and for my boys, and for your kids and grandkids, and in memory of those who aren’t with us to fight the battle. There have been many periods in my life where I have thought much more about me than about others. This is not one of those periods, and it is immensely gratifying. 5) I only need to be “Man of the Year” to my kids and my wife…the only significance of that title in this campaign is the feeling of a job well done. As you’ll read on my donation page, my preference would be to raise an exorbitant amount of money and lose to someone who raised even more. “Everyone wins when cancer loses.” 6) I’ve watched this video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIlHysDFVgo ) dozens of times, and I cry every time, often uncontrollably. I couldn’t say no to this nomination. I just couldn’t say no. Simply stated, the nomination and participation in this campaign is the most humbling and rewarding experience I could have ever imagined. “Giving” is so, SO much better than receiving, and “selflessness” is becoming my new favorite word. I never knew it could feel this good. I’VE GOT ONE WEEK REMAINING ON THIS JOURNEY. TAKE IT WITH ME. GO TO MY PAGE. MAKE A DONATION. ENJOY THE “GIVING” AND SELFLESSNESS. JOIN ME AND OTHERS IN FINDING A CURE FOR CANCER IN OUR LIFETIME.https://www.mwoy.org/pages/epa/philly17/tdetulleo