I wasn’t waiting for the other shoe to drop…

Reading time: Less than 1 minute

I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a metaphor from Ruth Pennebaker.

Both my grandmothers and two of my aunts had breast cancer. I’ve stopped my endless to fretting about my risk, but I still read breast-cancer stories in newspapers with more than the usual interest.

One such story appeared recently in the New York Times Opinionator section. Written by Ruth Pennebaker (pictured above) and titled “A Sisterhood of Memories,” it explores both the sustenance and challenge of cancer support groups.

I enjoyed Pennebaker’s feisty attitude and her often humorous style. Here is a bit of figurative language she used that displays both:

I knew the odds. According to the cancer literature, my chances of surviving 10 years and seeing my children grow up were less than 50 percent. I wasn’t waiting for the other shoe to drop, I was waiting for the whole damned shoe store to collapse.

I’m so happy that Ruth Pennebaker not only survived but that she’s also managed to write eight books. Her most recent is called Pucker Up and it’s all about aging. I intend to read it. If you find her column interesting you might also want to know that she blogs about women, men, families, marriage, politics, aging, writing and anything else that occurs to her at Fabulous Geezersisters.

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