Hurdling For A Cure

I don’t think there is one person whose life has not been affected by cancer. You may be a survivor, currently fighting or know a loved one who has struggled with the disease. Cancer continues to take the lives of millions each year.

My Relay team of 8 years. We were superhero's fighting against cancer
(I'm superwoman). This was from the summer of 2008. 

Tonight, I went to the Relay For Life on campus. Since I was in 8^th grade, I have participated in Relay. I have walked hundreds of miles with strangers by my side in the hope of finding a cure. I have shared tears with young and old with a common goal of saving lives. I have helped raise thousands of dollars to help fund research to beat this disease.

In 2008, 7.6 million people had their life taken away by this devastating disease. The World Health Organization estimates that deaths from cancer will continue to rise and in the year 2030, over 13 million people will die from cancer. That is 13 million families losing a loved one. It’s 13 million people not able to graduate from college, witness their child’s wedding, or play with their grandchildren.

I think sometimes we’re in denial. Cancer is a hurdle none of us plan on facing. We think, “It can’t happen to me.” Cancer does not care who you are, what age you may be, or how amazing of person you have always been. Cancer doesn’t care how much pain it puts you or your family through. Cancer takes lives and leaves those mourning the death with emptiness in their hearts.

Relay For Life brings communities together, where people can share their stories, their struggles, and their fears. It is a celebration of life and most of all it is raising money to save lives. There is a cure and we will find it. We will not reach 13 million people in the next 17 years because we can all come together to fight this. Cancer should never be a battle for just the patient and the family, but a battle between the entire population against cancer.

I am tired of hearing about people dying from cancer. I am sick of seeing people suffer because the disease as taken them over. I don’t want another person I know to be affected by this disease. I will do my part to face the hurdle and continue to fight for a cure, just like those who are currently fighting for their lives. Please take part in the fight and never give up hope. 

The What-If Hurdle: My Heart Goes Out To Boston

I heard it from a colleague. He was shocked I hadn’t heard of the news taking over the TV, Twitter, Facebook, and the rest of social media. I thought the most devastating part of the day was that I hadn’t slept in 36 hours, trying to finish a paper. In the time I was sitting there complaining about how tired I was, three innocent people lost their lives and over a hundred obtained life-changing injuries.

Every person faces hurdles during their day, week, and life. Some are small, some intimidating, and some seem like they could consume you or as many people put it, some hurdles are “the end of the world.” We face these hurdles differently. Perhaps it depends on our previous experience or maybe some of us really are stronger or weaker. I’ve faced my share of hurdles and I’ve confronted those that seem like the end of the world, but then I hear about what others are going through, I wonder how I can even complain.

Six days ago, during one of the most incredible events nationally and internationally, two bombs went off killing three and injuring over one hundred. The Boston Marathon is an event to bring runners and spectators together for a common goal and to share their experiences. For the runners, the main obstacle was to finish the race. For the spectators, it was cheering the loudest and hoping those they cheered for would get the personal bests they trained for.

The hurdle no one could imagine was two bombs placed near the finish line of the race meant to hurt and kill people. My cousin qualified to race in the marathon, but an injury prevented her from going. My other cousin and best friend were spectators at the race watching the finishers near the finish line. They made it out safely, but many other friends and family members are mourning the death of their loved ones as I write this blog. The injured our trying to recuperate from burns, shrapnel injuries and amputations.

My back hurts and it always hurts. I have injured it many times and now it’s kind of a constant pain. I can still stand for long periods of time, walk and even run. Those who had to receive amputations after the bombing will have to relearn these skills while using prosthetic legs. They will never live a life exactly like the one they live before that day. Each minute of each hour of each day, will turn into one hurdle after another.

How can I complain about a pain in my back, when many of these people will never recuperate from their injuries that they had no choice over? I could have prevented my injury, but these spectators and runners were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It seems like such a simple phrase to sum up such devastation. Any of us could be in that wrong place and exactly the wrong the time. We then wonder…what if? 

Bounding Through Senioritis

I’ve never waited until the last minute to do an assignment. I’ve never disregarded a deadline before and I’ve never not cared about schoolwork. The term senioritis always baffled me. I thought as a senior I would just want to get my work done and graduate, but I have discovered the true meaning of the word.

Even now as I write this blog post I am committing a “senioritis act.” My 25-page thesis is due in six day. I have sat in the library now for six hours staring at articles hoping that the paper will write itself. I am actually excited and interested in the topic, but have lost all desire to actually physically write the paper.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, senioritis is “an ebbing of motivation and effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences, and lower grades.” Well, they have the lack of motivation correct, but luckily my grades are doing just fine and I somehow have perfect attendance for all my classes (that doesn’t mean I’m mentally always there). Is there a cure?

My cure is finding something more interesting to do. I would prefer writing a blog post about procrastinating my work than actually do the work I am procrastinating by writing this post. I know I will regret not using this time to actually do my work and yet right now I could care less. I want to care about it, but I don’t. I think I am finally burnt out. It never hit me until now that there really is a stage where students can be burnt out. I thought it was a term simply thrown around for those students who were lazy and careless. No, it’s real and it’s a terrible position to be in while work begins to pile up.

Then again, maybe I have become a lazy and careless student myself. Now that does worry me. Graduation is less than 42 days away. Each hour has become valuable as deadlines inch closer in anticipation to being completed so I can wear the ugly black gown and receive the piece of paper I’ve paid thousand for from a stranger who doesn’t know how to pronounce my name.

Even now, as you read this post you can tell that I am rambling on and procrastinating the inevitable fact that I will soon have to face that unfinished 25 page thesis that is mocking me from the computer screen. I guess there’s nothing else to say. Good luck to all my fellow seniors. I hope this post helps you procrastinate your dreadful assignment for a while. Happy senioritis to all!