It is strange to consider that life is so short, when viewed in the context of all the unexpected events that occur around you. I've recently discovered a co-worker I like very much has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He's a young, athletic, and healthy man over 30 with two children, a good job, and a wife. (I've spent some time with both of them volunteering in Costa Mesa.) You would never know to look at him, but he had an attack of the central nervous system and it appears that the doctor diagnosed his health in order that he could come back to work full-time. However, he probably has the following diagnosis, which means it can come back at any time, even if it isn't audacious enough to show symptoms right now. (All the other possible MS diagnoses are worse than the below.)
Relapsing-Remitting MSPeople with this type of MS experience clearly defined attacks of worsening neurologic function. These attacks—which are called relapses, flare-ups, or exacerbations —are followed by partial or complete recovery periods (remissions), during which no disease progression occurs. Approximately 85% of people are initially diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS. Why does this happen? Could be genetic. Could be linked to lots of things. According to the Multiple Sclerosis Society, this is thought to be an autoimmune disease. Our body's own immune system attacks the tissue surrounding the nerve fibers in the central nervous system. This myelin attacked forms scar tissue (sclerosis), which distorts nerve impulses traveling to/from the brain. Apparently, this forms several different symptions. In the case of my friend, he went blind in one of his eyes. Fortunately, his eye restored 90-95% of its sight in the last month, and he has come back to work another 40-hour work week, as before. It is odd to think how the symptoms vary so dramatically for those diagnosed. Apparently, MS is diagnosed, as in other autoimmune diseases, significantly more often(at least 2-3 times) in women than men. The body's "abnormal" response, to attack our central nervous system doesn't even have a specific reason! At least epidimiologists and researchers haven't discovered it yet.
Why? Oh, why. It isn't just my friend. It is over 2 million people in the world diagnosed with this disease alone, and besides disease, there are so many other things in this world that are just
unjust. Why does this happen to a good man? Why does this happen to any of us? I've started to follow blogs in Saudi Arabia, lately, in a recent discovery in my ongoing obsession about the international opression of peoples, especially women. These men and women are speaking up about how they feel about the dress standards, the options for democracy, cultural standards, religion and how it applies to the politics. Reading about it (and I've only just begun) opens my eyes to what the world is really like. And makes me wonder just how selfish we really are (and probably unaware, as well)..because we are so concerned with our own insignificant lives. Not to say that each individual isn't truly significant in her own way, but that in the scope of things, all are significant as a whole, and we can be significant if we care enough to do what we can as an individual for the whole. Even being aware, makes us less unaware, right? And not so oblivious and naive. At least - this is where
I'm going to start.Saudi Blogs: http://saudistepfordwife.blogspot.com/
http://saudijeans.org/
Multiple Sclerosis: http://cas.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=CAS_donate_homepage
This is how I'm feeling today. Frustrated. Wishing I was at home watching Henry James' novels on film. Ugh. I'm so done with today. But here I am...trying to finish recruitment for two events, updating a website, try to get a schedule for media we have to come up with, trying not to be at my wit's end. After all, it isn't just for another person to make you feel the way you feel. It is your responsibility to control emotions. Thankfully, yesterday was the day I felt true frustration, and today is really just the "my cup overfloweth with all thing not lovely" Thursday - vibrations from yesterday's "earthquake". I fell asleep watching the Discovery Channel probably around 9:00pm last night. (I'm sure this was a subconscious shutdown - Warning, Warning, Brain's impending stress will cause early Vesper shut down...Warning, Warning...Emergency sleep deprivation and stress aleviation to commence at 2100.... Quite comical, actually. Considering the following -- That I woke up at 3:45am and tossed/turned until 7:30am when I finally righted myself up and decided to get ready. Apparently, once my body achieves approximately seven hours of sleep, I'm supposed to awaken. Why, oh why, you may ask, is the reason for my overly dramatic statements. The non-compelling sighs and cries for attention (This blog is my pitiful attempt) arises from a certain person in the office with whom I see every day at the office, work with on too many projects,...and who pretends to care about my life, although truly does not. It disgusts me. I suppose if this particular person stopped pretending and/or decided to show their apathy in true form, I might find them callous and hardened, but it does seem worse when someone asks if you are "doing alright", when really they are trying to dig up reasons to criticize your work and then feign innocent concern. I hate liars. But...perhaps it would be liberating to have the truth out in the open. Then, perhaps I might feel like this person. 
Quite satisfied with myself and perhaps in the knowledge that certain liars might actually be dually noted as charlatans or otherwise by other perceptive persons (besides myself). But, as this is not the case, I feel compelled to keep my mouth shut and allow myself a wry smile when she says foolish things in front of others. I will remain silent and do my job well. This is the best answer to her games.
