Man in the Mirror Perhaps he’s not an accurate reflection

Why do dogs chase their tails, even after they’ve caught them? Why do people with expensive cars intentionally take up two parking spaces in crowded parking lots?

And why does my aging body still do daily battle with acne?

That’s a question I asked myself the other morning while contorting my face in the mirror right before I gummed my oatmeal and applesauce. It’s not exactly a traditional resolution, I suppose, but surely there must be a way to rid myself of facial blemishes in the new year.

The fact that acne is a problem that just now has risen to the top of my list probably says a lot about my life, especially since the issue continued to clog my brain on the drive to work and even as I fired up the computer to see what had filled my inbox overnight.

And then I read the short email: A good friend was apologizing that a golf outing we were planning a few months down the road probably wouldn’t be happening because he just found out he had esophageal cancer.

I read the few sentences in the email a couple of times, not so much because I didn’t understand what he was saying but because I didn’t want to understand. And then I did what most people would do — I Googled “esophageal cancer” because I didn’t know much about it.

And a few clicks into my research, after soberly noting that the most recommended form of treatment involves finding a “clinical trial”, I saw the numbers: About 16,640 new cases of esophageal cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year, and about 14,500 people die of the disease each year.

As my friend, a real estate investment guy who single-handedly pulled me through our MBA accounting class, noted wryly when I talked with him later: “I’ve run the numbers, and they aren’t very rosy.”

His wife of 15-plus years took the news fairly well, he said, but their two teenagers sobbed uncontrollably. Surgery was out because his cancer already had snuck over to surrounding organs, so he was pinning hope on four progressively more aggressive rounds of chemotherapy, four 10-day blocks of hell that my friend said he “hoped to survive” in order to buy enough time for cancer researchers to find a cure for his at-the-moment virtually uncurable disease.

“There are still some things I don’t want to miss in my life,” he said, choking a bit as he spoke the words into his phone.

Hang in there, I told him; I couldn’t think of much else to say. Dealing with cancer is a mostly personal crusade, as much mental as physical, particularly when you know the odds don’t favor the outcome you want.

The conversation ended, the obligatory endof-call greetings were exchanged, and we both cursed his situation without swearing or crying or raising our voices.

I worked my way through the rest of the day, completing my regular tasks and booking future meetings on my calendar and discussing future stories for our magazine. And I went home to fill in my wife about the day’s events.

As the day wound down, I found myself in the bathroom again, staring at the same blemished face that had given me so much pain that morning.

And I decided that maybe I wouldn’t spend so much time looking into the mirror tomorrow, because the reflection looking back at me seemed to be pointing in the wrong direction.

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BACK TALK: EDUCATION

Between magazine issues, Advocate editor Emily Toman follows Preston Hollow schools on the Back Talk Preston Hollow blog. The following are excerpts from her posts; to find related links or to comment, visit prestonhollow.advocatemag.com and use the search terms.

W.T. WHITE STUDENTWINS $1,000 IN TALENT CONTEST

Steven Perez, a W.T. White High student and member of the school choir, performed an original song in a talent contest at the House of Blues. He won $500 for his talent, plus another $500 for having the most fans at the show. Pretty much a rock star. Search: Perez

GREENHILL STUDENTBREAKS WHITE ROCK MARATHON’S FUNDRAISING RECORD

Logan McGill, a student athlete at Greenhill School, hasn’t allowed scoliosis to slow her down. In fact, she formed a 60-person relay team, Race for the Curve, for the White Rock Marathon, shattering the race’s fundraising record. Her team has raised more than $50,000 for Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. You can donate to the team at raceforthecurve.com. Search: McGill

LOCAL MATHGROUP HOSTS FREE DISCUSSIONS FOR STUDENTS

For those kids who just can’t get enough math in class every day, there’s a local club out there just for them. Geared toward junior high and high school students, Metroplex Math Circle meets on Saturday afternoons at UTDallas, offering free presentations on all kinds of math-related subjects. The group aims to accelerate mathematical education and problem-solving skills. Search: MMC

PRESTON HOLLOW STUDENTSGET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH SNAKES

Preston Hollow Elementary recently held its Science Fair with more than 105 science project entries. Students explored all kinds of questions, such as how video games affect cognitive skills, and which gives off more friction — the driveway or the grass. Drs. Moe and Hsia from UT Southwestern along with eight colleagues judged the event. But the real action came after the awards ceremony when students received a hands-on lesson about snakes in a session with Daryl Sprout, aka “The Snake Man”. I think Abriana Mendoza deserves a medal for having the courage to wear one around her face. Search : snakes

Blog Highlight

H&M POP-UPSTOREOPENSATNORTHPARK

Officials finally confirmed back in October that a new H&M store would be coming to NorthPark by this time next year.

2011

Events Online

Does your organization, house of worship or school have an event you’d like to promote? Submit it to our online calendar at bizfinder.advocatemag.com/event It’s free, or you can purchase an enhanced listing.

Dec. 8, H&M set up a consolidated version of the popular clothing store, temporarily, through this spring. However, the store only offers a portion of its entire collection, switching it out every few months. Right now, you can only find fashions in red, black, white and gray. The next installation may be children’s apparel only. At any rate, it’s enough to hold us over until we get the real thing. H&M “lite” is located across from Henri Bendel. – EMILY TOMAN search: H&M

ON THE WEB

MEDIA KEY: WHERE TO FIND US ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB

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Question Of The Month

We asked our Facebook fans

WHAT’SSOMETHING NEW AND POSITIVE YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR THE NEW YEAR?

This is going to be our low-key, local year. Instead of big trips, it will be small indulgences to support the local community. More tiny dinner parties with friends, more cooking together, more day trips.

—MELISSA GROVE

As a human rights lawyer and activist, I’ll be joining the worldwide campaign to eradicate sexual violence toward women and children.

—DR. MADHUMITA PARIDA

I’m going to help my dear Nigerian friends build a school in rural, middle-belt Nigeria. We broke ground last summer, and this year we hope to build so the Mary Penelope Academy can open in the fall of 2011.

—KELLY L. STERN

More exploring of Dallas!

—KERRY SUMPTER SMITH

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Most Popular Preston Hollow

BLOG POSTS:

1. EINSTEIN BROS. BAGELS OPENS AT PRESTON AND ROYAL search: Einstein // 2. H&M POP-UP STORE OPENS AT NORTHPARK search: H&M // 3. ORIGINAL W.T. WHITE MUSICAL OPENS search: Michael Parker// 4. A VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE LBJ EXPRESS SEARCH: virtual tour// 5. COYOTE ACTIVITY SPOTTED NEAR GOOCH ELEMENTARY search: coyote at 214.635.2120 or crobinson@advocatemag.com.