This annoying little virus with its unending evolutionary mutations has been around as long as we have historical records, and probably more. No one dies of a cold (unlike the flu) but we all are laid low. I don't know a single person who's never caught a cold.
What purpose does this virus serve in the massive jigsaw puzzle of an ecosystem?
God in his wisdom made the fly
And then forgot to tell us why. -- Ogden Nash.
Not true, many animals eat flies: frogs, toads, bats, spiders, often other insects, birds. It serves a purpose. Does anything feed on viruses? What connects them to the rest of creation? If we could actually wipe them all out, would it do more harm or more good?
Speaking as someone who's body seems to think cold viruses are Pokemon and must catch them all, I can tell you it would save a lot of trees from being made into tissues if there were no more of them. And it's a damn shame there isn't a way to turn nasal mucous into a fuel source.
Well, I'm no Ogden Nash, but here goes:
Contemplate the lowly virus
Sent by God to sorely try us.
Evolved for purposes unknowable,
To make us glad our noses are blowable,
Else our heads would fair explode
From the ever-increasing load.
Showing posts with label illness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label illness. Show all posts
Monday, September 1, 2014
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Life can turn on a dime
People think they understand how fragile life is, but I don't think they really get it until it's pushed into their face. I sure didn't.
My husband just went to having a pain in his shoulder that we both assumed was a pulled muscle (had that before) to fighting for his life because the abscess that was causing the pain had sent bacteria and toxins throughout his entire body. He was in ICU for a week, and will probably be in a regular room for at least another one.
I went from having a raw patch on my tongue that I assumed was from stress (had that before)to a diagnosis of oral cancer. As it's related to human papilloma virus and not tobacco, I've got a pretty good prognosis. I'll know more when I see the oncologist next week.
When my father died, it was a long, drawn-out process. But I have a friend who was sitting in the living room talking to her mom, who suddenly put her hand over her heart, said "Oh, my," and was gone.
It's impossible to seriously live each moment as if it were your last. We have jobs to go to, bills to pay, and every couple and family has disagreements. I'd rather be lying on a beach drinking Pacifico with lime than going to work most days. Even though I nearly lost my husband, he still has habits that grate on my nerves. Some people have a brush with death and are completely different people, others of us just carry on in the same old way.
But maybe just a bit more aware that our lives are like soap bubbles.
My husband just went to having a pain in his shoulder that we both assumed was a pulled muscle (had that before) to fighting for his life because the abscess that was causing the pain had sent bacteria and toxins throughout his entire body. He was in ICU for a week, and will probably be in a regular room for at least another one.
I went from having a raw patch on my tongue that I assumed was from stress (had that before)to a diagnosis of oral cancer. As it's related to human papilloma virus and not tobacco, I've got a pretty good prognosis. I'll know more when I see the oncologist next week.
When my father died, it was a long, drawn-out process. But I have a friend who was sitting in the living room talking to her mom, who suddenly put her hand over her heart, said "Oh, my," and was gone.
It's impossible to seriously live each moment as if it were your last. We have jobs to go to, bills to pay, and every couple and family has disagreements. I'd rather be lying on a beach drinking Pacifico with lime than going to work most days. Even though I nearly lost my husband, he still has habits that grate on my nerves. Some people have a brush with death and are completely different people, others of us just carry on in the same old way.
But maybe just a bit more aware that our lives are like soap bubbles.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)