Somehow, someday
We need just one victory and we're on our way
Prayin' for it all day and fightin' for it all night
Give us just one victory, it will be all right
We may feel about to fall but we go down fighting
You will hear the call if you only listen
Underneath it all we are here together
Shining still to give us the will
Bright as the day, to show us the way
~ Todd Rundgren
Nope. Not a political post. Wait . . . maybe it is.
Today is World Cancer Day, a day devoted to raising awareness of this heartbreaking disease and the steps we can take to control its proliferation. Every year, 8.2 million people die from cancer worldwide, and four million of those deaths are premature, taking the lives of people aged 30 - 69. Ever since 9/11, I have been heard to say, "There's no terrorist like cancer." And yet, we continue to focus our attention, our energy, and our funding primarily on human terrorists, and most specifically, those who constitute "the other," either by religious affiliation or nationality. Cancer, on the other hand, is not selective in its victims.
"Just One Victory" appears on Todd Rundgren's incredible album A Wizard, A True Star, released in 1973. The album received mixed reviews, and one needed only to compare the A-side with the B-side to understand the criticism. Indeed, one must take on somewhat of a bi-polar ear in order to attempt to balance the disparate offerings. But the exercise is worth it, especially when one is rewarded with the last track, "Just One Victory."
In 1998, my 41-year-old husband was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. His fight to survive, which included more surgeries, chemotherapies and radiation than I care to remember, ended with his death at age 45. "Just One Victory" became our battle cry during his treatments. And so it is no surprise that today, World Cancer Day, the song came to mind. In recalling the lyrics, I could not help but see their application to present-day politics and a growing fear of the darkness ahead.
The time has come to take the bull by the horns
We've been so downhearted, we've been so forlorn
We get weak and we want to give in
But we still need each other if we want to win
Imagine if the money to be spent on building a wall was devoted instead to finding a cure for cancer? Imagine if research scientists from around the world were granted the opportunities to continue their work with the same financial security now provided to Wall Street? Imagine if Big Pharma did not make profit its main objective in producing the medicines that may combat cancer? Imagine if treatment for cancer was not limited by borders and bans which prevent those afflicted from seeking the best chances for survival? Imagine if funding for education allowed for the great medical minds of the future to pursue the training they will need to find the cure? Imagine.
We've been waiting so long
We've been waiting so long
We've been waiting for the sun to rise and shine
Shining still to give us the will
If there is to be just one victory, let it be this one.
💔
ReplyDeleteJust one!
ReplyDelete:'(
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