Run Britney Run

This past Saturday, after a "Songs of Canada" workshop at Troutfest, a lady came up to me and told me "Run Terry Run" really hit her. She said her stepdaughter was a Terry Fox cancer survivor. These days, kids diagnosed with the type of cancer he had have a very high rate of survival and a lot of people feel that Terry Fox has everything to do with that. I'd heard that fact before and I was really happy to hear it again in such a special context. It's a sweet moment that I won't forget.

But I wasn't prepared for what happened later. I had just done "Run Terry Run" on the mainstage as an impromptu tweener, and I was backstage putting my guitar away. A pretty teenage girl came up to and said she really liked the song. No, this is not a frequent occurrence, and I must have looked quizzical. Then she said her mom had met me earlier... I was speechless as I figured it out. She gave me a big hug while I was still standing there blinking and try to stammer out what a miracle all of it was.

We hung out a bit later in the afternoon, Britney and me, and her stepmom and her sister too. Everyone was in shorts and Britney didn't seem shy or concerned about the jagged zigzag down her right leg. It's a battle scar. I think she's even proud of it. She should be.

We both agreed it was a good thing to make sure and get the leg brace in this photo. It just seemed right.

Run Britney Run!