Aware

Celebrity depression

makes headlines

and facebook is rife

with armchair therapists

 

While reports of the plague

that will reach our community~

and every other ~

causes panic, until

 

The next fad demon,

disease, discomfort, difficulty

is tweeted over cyberspace

insisting that we are aware…

 

Not to worry;

awareness lasts but a splash

in the grand scheme of Time…

 

Like a bucket of ice water

dumped on your head.

 

Author's Note

Nothing against people who have done the "ice water challenge", but I can't help think this whole thing is a fad, and those same people who are dumping buckets of water on themselves today will next month be trying to remember what "ALS" stands for. The news and social media seems to need for us to be in a righteous tizzy all the time...

Reviews

[AprilRN1210]

I am torn on this subject.. being in the medical field, I see such suffering and diseases and disorders that never get the attention and funding for research and then I see one small act start a tidal wave of awareness and outpouring of assistance.. it is the craziest thing how one tiny thing or celebrity can spark a fire.. I can feel the emotion in this as well as the well written composition.. well done! awareness, in my opinion, is never a bad thing, but people can take things too far sometimes... :)

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you for your insights, April - I wholeheartedly agree with raising awareness. I just get frustrated with any kind of "mob mentality"; I felt like that whole ice bucket thing was more a way to "join in" and get attention for themselves than it was to learn about or help a cause.

[Pryde Foltz]

Not to worry;
awareness lasts but a splash
in the grand scheme of Time…

Like a bucket of ice water
dumped on your head.

WOOO … you go girl. Awesome satire:)

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you, Pryde!

[Alfred Kukitz]

There is no roar in the media like I find in your lines of wisdom.

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you so much for these words, Alfred.

[Lydia Shutter]

I am right there with you, Rita. Forgive me for saying this, but I believe there are far more worthy causes than ALS, but because Facebook is the arena for these ice bucket challenges, suddenly it is in vogue to contribute to that charity. Do the people who are doing the challenge know what ALS is even NOW? I wonder. Still, it is helping the charity so it is not all bad. Lydi**

[Rita L. Sev]

For days, every other post on fb was someone dumping water on their heads... then, it was comments about what Robin Williams should have done... As you said, it is a good thing if it helps a charity - I just wish people were not so mindless... Thanks, Lydi!

[redflutterby]

Hmmm...while I get where youre coming from on this. Things can get beat to death on the web. But lets not forget how truly devastating ALS is. To lose all ablity to care for oneself and yet still be fully aware of what youre going through. To lay there while your body slowly stops functioning... horrified that you cant communicate or have basic dignity anymore. It runs in families so many victims have watched another relative go through this horror and then be diagnosed themselves. Research dollars for this disease are imsignificant compared to what is put out for diseases that affect a larger segment of the population. Id wager that more was spent on discovering Viagara and such other drugs then was spent on ALS. You see its all about profit for companies...and things such as ALS and Alzhiemers research simply aren't profitable....since when did basic human dignity have a price tag on it. Over 8 million dollars was raised in one day as a result of this ice bucket challenge. Estimates put the total somewhere between 50 million and a 100 million before its all said and done. Even when people take the challenge they are still donating money. I know there was criticism early on that people weren't...that theyd rather dump ice on their heads then give a donation. Yes it may be a fad but better that it happened and money was raised then it never happening at all. I for one have seen people with ALS...theres videos of those who have it including Pete Frates who inspired the ice bucket challenge circulating on facebook and other places. I doubt anyone will ever forget what that looks like...if they have any true compassion. And maybe if we all "see" it for ourselves this will be more then another Hollywood fad.

[Rita L. Sev]

I fully understand what you are saying, Red - you are absolutely right. You also make an excellent point about the money (and, dare I say, 'manpower') spent on Viagra vs. diseases like ALS. I am all for awareness and donating to important causes; I just don't 'get' fads. I also get so frustrated by all the "experts" and fanatical know-it-alls that pop up to chime in with their two cents about things like ebola ("IT'S THE PLAGUE, PEOPLE! DON'T YOU SEE THAT?") and depression. I threw this piece together after a very frustrating half hour on facebook, rife with ignorant posts punctuated by ice-bucket videos every third post... I do thank you for your insights, and wholeheartedly agree that we need more true compassion.

[redflutterby]

Youre welcome Rita and pardon what may have sounded like a rant. Oh I saw plenty of ignorant posts on facebook...a few from people who I thought I knew better. I think youre onto something in what you just said about that frustrating half hour on facebook. See Ive learned a very important lesson from the grief im going through. Because loss changes things...it alters how you view whats important and what isn't. I believe as a society we need to step away from the 24 hour techno information age now and then too maintain a sense of reality. Otherwise everything seems altered and warped...magnified to a point that we respond with irritation and anger. Overload of our sensitivities...its why im rarely here or on other sites.

[Rita L. Sev]

I think you have a good point about the warping of facts, and about how our own experiences lead us to wiser and certainly harsher conclusions. That particular facebook session came on the heels of a very public, very local (close to home) tragedy, and as you have also observed, people whom I thought knew better amplified the horror. As you said - best to step back for better perspective...

[s y e]

I think it is something that will quickly be forgotten which is sad... I loved this poem Rita. You speak so openly and get your point across.

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you, Noodle. :)

[Einstein Noodle]

i so agree with you .. a local news caster was on the news doing it with a tiny bucket that had a glass and a half of water in it .. he made it look like he was shocked by cold but i didn't see one iota of ice .. then he challenged the whole crew of somebodies to do the same .. correct me if i am wrong .. but the best advice for me comes from the bible which says we should do things like that in secret ;) ... but i get it .. one becomes part of a bigger thing and raises more money ... and facebook and tweet and twit .. i so do not go there ... we think our opinions are way more important than they are ... its like talking to someone that only wants to hear their own voice ... i love your poem!!! i am always excited to see you have posted something ..
E.

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you so much, E. I have now been "challenged" by a few people to do this ridiculous thing, and my reply to their challenge has been that I will absolutely be donating to an important charity. It drives them nuts that I will not succumb to "cyber peer pressure" and get wet on facebook!
I do love that bible quote :)

[Ashira Macy]

Honestly, the ice water challenge is stupid. It would be better to challenge people to donate money right? I mean what good does wasting water do. My state is in a drought, they can send it to us. We as a society don't want to face for serious issues so instead we make games out of them. Well said and thought provoking, thank you for sharing this.

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you, Ashira.