In support of

I was in the grocery store this afternoon and a youthful female voice kept coming on the public address system and saying that someone was selling baked goods in a certain area of the store "in support of breast cancer." I know she meant "in support of a breast cancer cure," or "in support of breast cancer research," or perhaps merely "in support of breast cancer awareness," but I kept thinking of sarcastic remarks.

I always think disease awareness is a fairly nebulous goal and not worthy of donation. Cures, support, research, those are good. Awareness--what?

I like the ALS Association because it supports research for a cure and also supports people who are currently suffering from ALS. My brother got lots of equipment and helpful tools when he was suffering. The sad thing about ALS is that all the tools and equipment can keep going back in the storehouse and made available for others because any one person only needs them for the limited amount of time they have before their condition gets worse and then they die.

Anyway. At Safeway they're always collecting for some disease. When you check out, the debit machine asks if you want to round up your purchase price to the nearest dollar for such-and-such a disease. I always push the "no" button. I give to charities I have chosen. It's commendable that the Safeway corporation does that good work, but I give elsewhere. 99% of the time after I push the "no" button the cashier will again ask me if I want to round up, and I tell them, "No, thanks."

For a while I got annoyed at Safeway (in my heart, sadly, I am a very irritable person) when, as I approached the check out stands, a clerk who was stationed there would always spring out at me and ask if I was ready to check out and then tell me which line to get into: "I think so and so is available at register 5." I would think, Please, can't I choose my own line? I think I can find my way. But the last time this happened the traffic director was such a fresh-faced, honest-looking young fellow, so obviously wanting to do his job well, that my heart softened and I thanked him kindly. I'm pushing 50 and it has started to be that mere youthfulness melts my heart. Sometimes on Facebook looking at friends who are young parents and pictures of their beautiful children almost makes me cry.