The Value Of Life

The emotions are running pretty high today.

I cannot stop watching the news as miner after miner is pulled from deep below the surface in Chile. I watched last night before bed, I watched as soon as I got up this morning, I watched on the elliptical at the gym, and I am certain I will have the TV on in the background all day today as I get my work done.

Each time a miner rises from below, the tears well up in me. That moment when they hug their loved ones makes me appreciate the difficulty of the journey they have travelled.

I am sure that many of them have a new found appreciation for what life means. This is something most of us take for granted. We tend to do whatever we want with the attitude that "whatever happens, happens". I know I still do that a lot.

I want to live a long life. I hope I will never have to go through anything similar to what these men have gone through, but I also hope that I can learn from them. I hope they reinforce in me how very important life is. It can be gone so quickly.

It can be gone as a result of an accident, and that is very hard to control, but it can also be gone because of a Heart Attack, Cancer, or a myriad of other health issues.

I want to find their determination to live. I want to look at food that can kill me...perhaps slowly...but can still kill me...and be able to say "no" I want to live.

I feel almost guilty relating their extreme circumstance to mine. I likely should feel guilty as it is not the same and never will be the same.

The importance of life is definitely hitting me today though, and whether it is even remotely reasonable to compare or not is irrelevant. It is how I feel and it is very real.

I am going to choose life, and I hope I remember that every time I look at chemically altered foods.

Be healthy,

Alan