I feel like I haven’t been on here at all in the last few weeks. It started with two weeks straight of work managing the pizza shop I work at as my bosses went on vacation and then needed other days off. I got through that and on the first day I had off I left for the summer sports camp I work at. The first week is basketball, which is now over, and the second is soccer which I leave to work on Sunday. I have internet access at the camp but I’m basically on duty from 7am to midnight so most nights I fall asleep soon after that, or I hang out with the other staff members until like 2am.

The reason I’m writing this is because like many others I was nervous to work at a camp with kids. Especially since many kids return every year and would remember my hair from last year. It’s the first time that I knew I wouldn’t be able to hide under my hat either as they aren’t allowed for staff members and even if they were I wouldn’t want to wear it constantly.

But anyways, the camp went really well. A few of the kids commented on the hair, and it was mainly positive. A few asked why I did that and I explained to them about the disease and many said they new someone that had that. It was nice to find acceptance even if it was from 11-15 year olds at a camp. Yes there was a few jokes about me looking like a cue ball but it was all in good fun as I was trash-talking to the kids on the ping-pong table. And of course they laughed at the fact that I got sunburned on the third day there.

Every time I look in the mirror all I see even right after I shave is the areas that still have hair growth because it seems darker to me. But I realized that most people don’t notice that as most kids and some of the staff said it just looked like I was sunburned on my head. I think many times we seem to focus on it and it eats away at us, and we care too much what others think, when in reality most people don’t care.

It’s the attitude that is more important. One of the older staff members (the wife of the medical director) commented that yeah, I may have changed physically, but the kids are more willing to accept it, as well as others, because I kept the same positive attitude I had before everything and still have fun and don’t isolate myself because of the disease.

I probably wont be on much until next weekend as I’m busy this weekend and then back to camp for a week, but best of luck to everyone and hope you’re enjoying your summer…