I found out the terrible news two days after the accident had happened. During those two days, I lived my life as if I had no reason to frown. Well, no reason besides not getting any icecream when I craved for some, which really doesn’t count.
I lived those days outside time and space, not knowing about the tragedy a family was dealing with, not being with my friend in my thoughts, dreams and wishes. Only a person who has lost someone dear can understand how I have blamed myself for not knowing about it right then and there, regardless the fact I would have been completely useless anyway…
Years after that I wonder how my life would have been, if I had never found out. Would I have lived my live differently thinking that all my friends are alive and well? Should we avoid the pollution of guilt and sadness and choose the sunny island of “I-Don’t-Know”?
Most certainly, worries and regret damage your health. Would you choose the good news over the bad ones, if you could and keep your face wrickle free? Or would you want to feel with every cell of your body, with the risk of a heart attack, the sorrow brought by someone’s death? Would you want to know??
Would you want to know if your husband or wife was cheating on you? Even if it only happened once and he or she regrets it?
Would you want to have a reminder of how many people die of AIDS every day? Even if you couldn’t do anything about it? Or do you prefer to have a vague idea about it and move on as if it isn’t happening?
Knowing that smoking causes cancer stops you from lighting up a cigarette? Do you want to know how bad alcohol is for your health or do you say to yourself “It’s not going to happen to me” when you see a documentary on cancer and go on living the carefree live you’ve lived until then?
How much do we want to know about the risks we expose ourselved to? Do we take action to avoid the consequences of our bad habits? Or do we bury our heads in the sand?
How much do we want to know about the tragedies happening around us? Does awarness count for something? Are we more alive or do we get numb by knowing all the sides of a story?
I didn’t want to know that a certain painkiller I have been taking for years causes cancer. I’ve been avoiding unnecessary medical treatments since. Maybe it was for the best.
Before reading an article about sunglasses I was happy getting sunburns, now I keep worrying about the UVs. So I take better care of myself. But I’m paranoid as well.
I admit I fantasize about a carefree life, but would that be a real life? Worries are part of our lives, whether we like it or not. We can’t just close our eyes and pretend sickness is not real, tragedies don’t exist and nothing bad is going to happen to us. Staying positive is one thing, ignoring the facts is another.
If I could turn back time, I wish that, during the coma of a friend, I was with him, sharing the sickening worries and desperate state of mind of the people who loved him. I wish I knew.
For me, awareness is bliss.
Strainu
23/08/2006 at 5:52 PMI have a “gut feeling” (like a certain president :P) that you should have forbidden the comments on this post.
andressa
23/08/2006 at 5:54 PMI thought about it. But it’s like a vote of confidence. Hope I won’t be dissapointed.
orson
23/08/2006 at 6:10 PMun pic cam prea “sex and the city”. mai ales ca e in engleza. si in romana se pot spune chestii la fel de bine (poate chiar sa para un pic mai sincere).
m
23/08/2006 at 6:14 PMBlessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
radu
23/08/2006 at 10:47 PMignorance IS bliss. asa s-au rezolvat toate problemele lumii, de la cele globale pana la cele mai minore. bineintles, “s-au rezolvat” e un fel de-a spune. dar majoritatea e de acord.
stingo
23/08/2006 at 11:27 PMOf course awareness is the way. Ignorance is for… les ignorants.
Although sometimes it may sound better not to know things, for instance when your partner is cheating on you, what does choosing ignorance say about your relationship with them? What does it say about you?
Siempre Contra
24/08/2006 at 1:12 AMGresiti cand va puneti sufletul pe blog.
That`s all I have to say.
doctorescu
24/08/2006 at 2:53 AMHow unfair! Only one health, and so many diseases…
Keos
24/08/2006 at 12:34 PMDa, faza e ca de cele mai multe ori stilul nostru de viata ajuta bolile astea. Am un prieten care bea cafea si fumeaza foarte mult, de fiecare data cand ma intalnesc cu el ii spun ca se omoara cu zile dar tot zice ca nu are ce face(e programator). Deja a avut ceva ulcer si mi se pare ca slabeste intr-una. Nici eu nu pot spune ca am un stil de viata tocmai sanatos dar nici nu incerc sa ma sinucid cu “luxul” secolului 20. Stiu de exemplu ca nu o sa fumez niciodata…
blowfish
24/08/2006 at 7:56 PMnu imi este frica de asha ceva sunt kestii pe care sunt dispus sa le platesc .. e more fun like that decat sa-mi fie frica de aia sau de aia.
.. nu vreau sa ajung sa-mi fie frica sa ies pe strada ca0mi pica copacul in cap
asha cum e cu cat mai spice cu atat mai tare
Keos
25/08/2006 at 9:32 AMDaca la tine tigarile sunt in domeniul “spice” … E una sa te arunci cu parapanta de pe un munte pentru andrenalina si alta sa iti distrugi sanatatea constient de asta.