The non-talkative roommate has spoken. He doesn't talk a lot, except when it's to complain.

The guy comes back home. I say hi and he replies, "Do you have a problem with the pink ribbon I put outside?"

A few homes have a pink ribbon set at their front. I thought it was some breast cancer activist coming around and putting those anywhere he or she wanted. In a market of ideas like any big city, one can expect anything. Since the pink ribbon is fixed to our home, and technically we're not allowed to put such things up, I took it down... Twice. I was a bit annoyed by this and I thought if an activist wanted to show his or her opinion, that the person do it on public property instead.

There was the annoying roommate just abruptly implying I'm stupid, ignorant, and without respect. "Do you know why it's there?" "No," I said. "Well, haven't you seen the ribbon on the other houses?" Yes, I did, and I wasn't sure what exactly it was for. "Don't you know anything?" "Your point," I urged.

Apparently, there's another "run for the cure" happening soon. Yes, another one. It seems people getting cancer is the perfect excuse for healthy people to stay in shape. If only cancer could be cured by running, it would have been cured a long time ago. I always thought the whole "breast cancer" hype is a nice socially-accepted manner to talk about breasts without actually doing so. Why no one is running for skin cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, or prostate cancer? They're not worth our attention? They don't sound sexy, that's why. Cancer is cancer. It kills no matter where or who it is. Believe it or not, men can also have breast cancer. But they don't count, do they? Anyone can live without breasts, but try living without a brain for a day. If you ask me, all that running is a real joke, even an insult to all of those who has any type of cancer. Think of it this way: how would you feel if you're being diagnosed with cancer and one of your family members comes to you and say, "Hang it there. I'll run for you!" "I dying, you fucking idiot! I want to spend more time with you, but there you go running away instead."

I asked him why he didn't tell me the first time I removed the damn ribbon. "Should I be responsible to tell you about everything happening in town? How about the law of gravity? This still works! Should I tell you about that too? You think by taking that ribbon down, we're all stupid and you're the smart one?" Going back to his bedroom, I just said, "That's right, go back in your room. It's for the best."