Lancing Lance

Like everyone else who cheered for Lance Armstrong, I'm disappointed.  Not that he doped, not even that he lied about it - only naive people would have thought differently.  That was the cycling culture, just like it was the pro baseball culture years ago.  But it is very disappointing to hear about the lengths he went to cover up the lies, the way he tried to destroy people.

However, while everybody is piling on their disgust, I still find myself asking why people want to pile on.  He's going to be ruined financially, and considered a cheat and a coward the rest of his life, but he can still inspire people with this story about beating cancer and rising to the top of his profession.

Consider how society looks at Tiger Woods now.  Nobody lost more than he did with his extra-marital shenanigans.  Lost wealth, lost family, even lost his professional edge, and still has not regained his form as the best golfer in the world.  Plus, and he lied to friends and angered fans in the process.

Yet, there are lots of people cheering for Tiger Woods in golf tournaments.  Just did a new TV commercial that has people talking.  Maybe people just want to like Tiger Woods.  And after a long while, people will start to want to like Lance Armstrong again, especially if he keeps up his anti-cancer work.

Both of those guys lied and hurt people.  They should suffer and be accountable for that.  Ultimately, though, isn't it likely Lance Armstrong will win fans back as Tiger Woods has?

People forgive and forget - especially forget.  We see it time after time after time.  There's no reason to think this won't be another American story of redemption.

It Doesn't Mean Anything

In the past decade or so, we have become an nation of symbols for causes.  These symbols might come in the form of ribbons or wristbands (think LiveStrong, for cancer awareness), or even something as simple as a color (think pink, for breast cancer awareness).

People often show off many different symbols for many different causes, but they all have one thing in common:  They don't often help the cause.

I've always thought the best example of this is people who put magnetic 'I Support Our Troops' ribbons on their vehicles.  This got to be a big deal while Americans were fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it was all very nice, but it didn't do a single thing for the soldier or his/her family.  Not one thing.  But hey, that vehicle is supporting the troops, right?

Another more recent example are the various symbols to show support for the families (or is it the victims?) of the Newtown, CT shooting.  Yes, it was a terrible tragedy, but prayers and ribbons aren't going to do anything for either the families or the victims.  If people really want to do something that matters, they need to speak out publicly against a crazy gun culture that allows the sale of semi-automatic weapons.  That will not completely stop these types of killings, but it would at least save some lives, and maybe at least one good thing can come from those deaths.

Full disclosure - I've been a long-time wearer of the yellow LiveStrong wristband, a symbol for cancer awareness, the one that started the entire wristband craze.  While I wear it to remind me of those I know who had/have cancer, I also actually do something about it by donating every year to the American Cancer Society.  I get a kick out of all the people who simply stopped wearing it once it lost it's cache', and again this year once Lance Armstrong fell from grace.  Do they suddenly not care about cancer?  Or maybe they only care when the cause or its leader is popular?

So if you wear red or pink or purple, or a ribbon or a wristband or a magnet, stop for a moment and ask yourself:  Are you truly making things better for those you say you support, or are you really just pretending, as a way to make yourself look better?

It's Not About The Bike

I was thinking the same thing so just click here.

Age Is A Gift

Last week I happened to know two individuals who turned 50 years old, and another who turned 55.  While they were all taking it in stride, we all know people who have not been so accepting of their newfound maturity.

Like so many others, I might have been one of those people who got depressed when I turned 40.  But around age 35. I took to heart something another person told me.  Age is a gift.

Life expectancy in the U.S. is around age 80.  Having said that, who doesn't know dozens and dozens of people who don't make it to 80, or 40, or even 20.

Just this weekend Des Moines held its annual Race For The Cure event, to raise money for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.  If you're feeling bad about aging, just go to one of those sometime.

I've participated in Race For The Cure many times, and it's humbling to think how many young women have lost their lives prematurely to breast cancer.  Add to those all of the other people who die young from other illnesses or injuries, and complaining about one's age is exposed as a very stupid thing to do.

The next time you hear someone lamenting about their birthday/age, tell them that age is a gift.  Then tell them to stop bitching about it.