Awareness

I was at this conference where the term of awareness came up. The particular case was related to AIDS and cancer. I'm going to streamline it as usual and make the whole thing seem much more important than it is. Yes, it is.

The term 'cancer awareness' came up. This struck me more than odd. In what way could you ever be unaware of the fact that you have terminal cancer (yes, they all/most are) or of its causes. Cause let's face it, it's not AIDS; you cannot be aware that unprotected sex, drug abuse or whatever sort of blood or seminal fluid contacts can lead to that disease. Unless you start stamping everything as "potentially cancerous", from meat to electronics and radioactive material. And it won't matter, people will still eat meat, use electronics and get radiation poisoning because they were unaware.

There is to make you aware that you might get cancer (unless some limited information, such as the aforementioned radioactive poisoning, prolonged sun exposure et caetera) and once you have it, unlike AIDS, that until something goes really wrong with you, you won't know it, cancer is visible, painful and most certainly always leads to death.

So can you be made aware of the fact that you have cancer? Yes, it's called having it. You don't need much testing done for that. Can you be made aware of the things that cause cancer? Only if you list everything dangerous. Otherwise, no.

It's sad and I may be insensitive. But the real insensitive people are those that like to play with words and programs and organizations and whatnot. If I got AIDS tomorrow, I'd probably go for the medication, and try and lead a more careful life. I might die, might also not. If I got cancer, well, then it gets tough. I'll probably focus more on something more productive for posterity. But I will die. And I don't want to vomit 10 times a day while in horrific pain just to delay it. I want to go smooth. Will I be aware that I have cancer? Yes. Will I have been made aware by anything of how I got cancer or of the fact I have by outside influences. Most unlikely.

Hence my advice is live, happily first, and healthy, if you can. Political correctness is just wrong (and I'll touch that in another subject), why use words that dehumanize the human experiences? Fuck awareness or the next thing you'll know is them telling you to be aware that you're alive.