In my mind, things are either ironic or they’re not. And things that are coincidences are not ironic. But I won’t rant about that distinction because Alanis Morrisette has already ruined the brains of a whole generation of people who may never realize the difference.

If Alanis wer an English teacher, THAT would be ironic.

The slight irony that I allude to is my current health situation. As most of you know, I have Crohn’s Disease and was diagnosed with this illness in the 1970s. Yes, I was a mere child when I was diagnosed.

Each year I try to do my part to help the doctors and scientists cure this disease by contributing my time and paltry design skill to a golf tournament. The Grampy’s Charity Open is in its 24th year and for 2008 we’re trying to raise more than ever before.

To give you some perspective, in 2007 we gave about $80,000 to a number of charities including CCFA.

Here’s the irony. Each year as I’m getting more stressed about auction-book deadlines and machinations over compiling the video slideshow and managing the Websites, I start to experience some Crohn’s symptoms.

The way I could alleviate the symptoms would be to break the pattern and do the work earlier, but like the disease, the tournament isn’t really in my control. Ads come in at the last minute as do donations and changes to the materials we need to have on hand.

By no means is this column a complaint. It’s more of a reminder that all of us are constantly barraged by things we can’t control. And similar to the people who might drink booze with a bad liver, smoke with a bad lung, or have kids even thought they’ve got no common sense – this work is something I choose to do even thought it affects me in a not-so-healthy way.

And it affects me in a very healthy way because it could provide people like me with a cure…someday.

And isn’t that what life is supposed to be all about – balance?

Just sharing a little bit about myself today. Hope it wasn’t too tough to bear.

If you’re interested in giving to the tournament or CCFA, do so. Here are two links…have at it.

CCFA.org and Grampys.org.

Thanks in advance, from the middle of my gut. Seriously and ironically.

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© Jeff Cutler for Jeff Cutler - columns, essays and opinions, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: CCFA, charity, Crohn's, disease, fundraising, giving, golf, grampys, illness, irony

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