It's a Fair Cop - Sometimes!

Society responds harshly to miscreants who disturb the social order. We expect the Police to arrest and prosecute those who break the rules. Neither do we tolerate misbehaviour in the corporate sector where we may summarily dismiss those involved in wrong-doing. (Except perhaps in the boardrooms of our major banks and corporations) In both cases the law allows for a defence and requires proof of guilt. There is perceived to be fairness about the procedure which we can acknowledge and comply with. Elsewhere however, incidents occur over which we have no control - other than how we choose to respond to them. Ultimately such choices define us. Viktor Frankl’s account of his experience as a Jew facing extermination in Auschwitz is one of the most extreme examples of this use of free will.

There are many situations in life where bad things happen to good people through no fault of their own. At such times stoic resilience grows only slowly and painfully. Today, 11^th September 2011, marks the 10^th anniversary of the greatest terrorist atrocity in history.  The attack on New York changed the lives of countless thousands of individuals and families around the world. Terrorist activities and war leave in their wake millions injured and maimed. Years later, in their wheelchairs or wearing their prosthetic limbs, these heroic individuals live out wholesome lives and are beacons of courage to the rest of us.  Bereaved families similarly must cope with shattered expectations and learn to live without their loved ones. The courage and fortitude of these survivors is exemplary and very humbling.

Every day countless millions more bemoan their self-inflicted illness in a much less edifying manner.  Our culture promotes the consumption of manufactured and denatured food products, which over time weaken our immune systems and lead to chronic disease. When the doctor presents us with his diagnosis we submit to medication or the knife, often accompanied by a ‘woe is me’ abandonment of responsibility. If we’re big enough to accept our role in this decline then we may be able to adopt a more healthy lifestyle with its promise of a better future. If not, then we may face the coronary bypass, the diabetic amputation, the kidney failure or the stroke – 15 years earlier than might have been expected.

Denial catches up with us and sooner or later we must choose how to respond to the new reality. It was once asked of me “Are you going to become a better person or a bitter person?”. This was a tough question, posed at a time when I was hurting and self-medicating my psyche with self-pity. Many years later I’m still building a stoic resilience and continuing to roll back the shutters of my self-awareness. Fortunately I can still walk and no one close to me died.

Today I choose to live with gratitude for the gift of life with all its joys and tears. I accept my responsibility for my circumstances and choose to make amends as best I can. I extend support and respect to those suffering the shock of change however experienced. To the best of my ability I will inquire, explore and contribute to our understanding of health to help avert disaster. Today we remember the victims and their survivors, both of 9/11 and of its repercussions. We acknowledge the suffering of the sick whether timely or self inflicted through ignorance. In my case at least, it was a fair cop.