By JAMILA RIZVI
It would have been entirely reasonable for one of my friends or colleagues to have bashed me over the head with my own lap top this week.
In fact, that very sensible course of action would have prevented the evangelical-like exclamations that have been coming hard and fast from my mouth since Wednesday.
To the confused readers out there who know that religion really isn’t my cup of tea – let me explain.
I have spent the past 7 days paying very vocal homage to the Gods of Science.
Why? Because: Science is freaking amazing.
Several months ago, I wrote about a dear friend of mine whose father had just been diagnosed with an extremely serious and likely terminal lung condition. It’s been an incredibly difficult, tense, sad and scared time for her family ever since. They’ve been walking an emotional tightrope of allowing themselves to accept the diagnosis but also remaining hopeful and positive for the future.
And then on Tuesday last week the call came: “We think we might have lungs for you”.
48 hours later, my friend was camped out in my bedroom in Sydney (my place isn’t too far from the hospital) with her mother and brother, in complete shock about the turn of events that had just occurred.
The man they all love was sitting up, talking and eating and BREATHING with his newly transplanted lungs. Okay, well I presume he wasn’t eating WITH the lungs, you do that with your mouth and stomach and stuff but he was eating with new lungs INSIDE him. Miracle still holds.
While there is a tough recovery ahead and risks remaining, this family really have been given the ultimate gift.
(See. I told you’d I’d gotten a bit preachy).
I’m not going to ask that you join me in my ‘praise the doctors’ chorus but if you aren’t already, you should go to this website RIGHT HERE and consider becoming an organ donor. Your body isn’t any good to you after you die but it could be awfully good to someone else.
So how’s my week been? Amazing. Because sometimes good things DO happen to good people.
What’s been happening in your world?
Top Comments
I need help with an assignment.....would welcome thoughts on this...
In what way have we been using the influence of society, which is probably the most powerful force in human psychology? If perception is reality, is it possible to build an environment where we are able to inject new values that connect people, instead of divide them according to numerous labels? Can you give some examples of current values we hold as a species that may not be in our best interest and what we could replace them with? [These questions are based on the idea that the proven immense power of social influence should make us seriously question how we are using this power, as presented in the new film Crossroads: Labor Pains of a New Worldview]
Yes,it's possible to to build an environment of positive influence. One way we do the opposite to this is assigning an absolute value to social habits by which we label, judge and separate people . Instead of assigning "good" or "bad" labels we can look farther into a cultural habit and praise it on its merits for the overall good of mankind. Such as, does this habit, idea or value harm or help the development of mankind in general? Will it promote, love, unity respect and abundance for the many or just the few.? Groups should have their unique values promoted as long as those values and actions associated fit the previous criteria.Additionally the criteria should be open to expansion and discussion at all times in order for us to continue growing and not to stagnate.
thank you !
Anyone read any good books lately?
Stumped for some new ideas.
Any genre welcome (except sci fi/fantasy!)