Being Removed

A while ago Jessica decided to do participate in a charity bike ride for MS. I was pretty impressed with her dedication and the cause and so decided to contribute a miserly sum to her effort of raising money and awareness about the debilitating disease. A week or so before the race we were having a conversation about the disease and the potential of people not to give to such causes after Katrina and the Tsunami. However, Jessica was able to meet the money goal she set for herself (even getting more than the target) so there it was the happy little elation that something good happened.

There are two things that got me thinking of our conversation before the race: 1) i found out a family member of a friend got diagnosed with MS and 2) today on the radio i heard a commercial for a 3 day walk for MS happening on Cape Cod in September that almost made me cry (damn hormones!).

I was thinking about all the charity events i have participated in or given money to in the past. How i always looked at it as being for others. It always seemed that the numerous incurable diseases effect someone else and have no potential to effect me. The thing is when giving money in the past i was thinking about all the other people diagnosed with the disease but not anywhere did the picture of me crop up except in the benefactor role. It's strange because people i'm close with have died from cancer and other debilitating diseases and i know how out of nowhere lives can be devastated. And i don't know if it's the selfish instinct in me that sees the charity as helping someone else and thus giving me the feeling of being a "selfless" person or it's natural for people to expect good health and "normal" life free of chronic diseases or horrible events?

I guess i don't know exactly what i'm writing with this post but guess, there are moments when life catches up with you and you see that it is not as you might have imagined it and that is something to keep in mind, i guess.