The Physical Fiscal Cliff!

Does anyone know who or where the first time the phrase Fiscal Cliff was coined?

For the last little while every journalist, congressperson, and Presidential tie has said it and it conjures up scenes from The Last of the Mohicans; Daniel Day Lewis running up a mountain side, the guys shooting arrows at innocent people standing on the cliff side. And it makes me think of the one girl who eludes his arrow and does the dirty work herself- plummets to her death because her sweetheart is gone already anyway.

Well, while our fiscal cliff is nearing I have been nearing the end of a list of Neuroblatsoma Cancer victims. Some real stories of people that have a cliff in their future.

I came onto Anna O'Connor's. She developed the cancer at 17- which is rare. Usually this childhood cancer hits at a younger age. If the child does live through the chemo, antibodies, and radiation, they have a high chance of re-lapse. And then things are really not bright. However, a lot of them plug through more years of punishing pain and even do trial drugs.

Anna, did just that; trial/pioneer some of the latest in technological trial drugs for this disease. She lived nine years after a one year diagnosis! In that time she graduated from HS and even went on to receive her Masters in Psychology. Wow! She is inspiring. She gave a voice to the little of these victims and also a listening ear. Her choice of career and life experiences gave her a seriously good set of tools to work with people in her situation as well as others.

When I saw that she barely passed it struck me and when I saw it was on my birthday this last year- a Leap Year, no less. I couldn't help but think that my little Nueroblastoma Journey was personal.

I don't know what that means going forward, but I like to think that it was time well spent researching and reading and becoming aware. It also helps me set some worthwhile goals no matter how physically cliff-ish I feel!

Her site: annabanana.org

Good luck as the Fiscal Cliff looms as well. I haven't done as much research into that one so I can't give advice as to whether you should sell stock, hole up in your house or run up a mountain.