I Never Met a Giraffe I Didn't Like Comments from Phil Carroll . . .
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Going back two and one-half years, I was in remission for a short time
after having taken chemotherapy for lymphoma for several months. But in
February '96 the cancer returned with a vengeance! The new, more aggressive
treatment had me in the hospital for three days at a time each month. On
one trip to the hospital there were complications and I ended up staying
30 days. I was so weak during that time my oncologist wanted a family member
to spend each night with me until I gained some strength. Each one, Lee,
Glenn and Philip gladly took their turn, but our daughter Shelley felt
"out of the loop" up in Maryland and wanted "in." She
flew down and spent several nights with me. I remember late one groggy
night we were watching one of those fascinating nature shows onTV, when
some giraffes came on. I made the fuzzy comment, "I've always wanted
to meet a giraffe." (Shelley says it was nothing so grand as a nature
program, just some car commercial.) My bride, Lee,thinks maybe I was hallucinating.
I guess I was a little goofy from the dire treatment. But this story got
around at AJP VII in 1996 and our friend and fan, Bill Sigmon, a dear man,
heard the story. Two days later, after the Party, this priceless drawing,
in full color was Fed-Ex'd to us! We both cherish the original. Note the
crate that the giraffe is perched upon! Now I can say, "I've
never met a giraffe I didn't like."
Comments from Phil Carroll . . .
