I am not a
proponent of bashing cynicism with what can be construed by others as an
equally cynical take on the discourse surrounding an event. Three hundred and sixty degree logic has a
way of coming back and hitting you square in the ego.
Some things
are worth the bruise.It is hard to understand how and why many people, of whom I respect and admire, look upon a tremendously successful campaign or movement with a level of cynicism that is akin to barely concealed loathing. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Cynicism is an easy reaction. It gins up controversy, and garners attention. It connects the kindred spirits of those who have chosen to curse the darkness rather than light a candle.
And, I am
ashamed to say, at my core there is a cynic longing to be heard. I think most of us, if we are honest, can say
the same. Unless you never tried to
accomplish anything in your life, it’s nearly impossible to avoid developing a
proclivity to stiffening the upper lip and refusing to ever allow yourself to
"be so naïve" again.
For
shame. On all of us.
I’ve written about ALS in this blog before. I’m a baseball nut, and so it is impossible to not know what Lou Gehrig’s disease is. As a baseball (and sports in general) nut, I read just about everything that Mitch Album writes. Tuesday’s with Morrie gave me my first glimpse into the horrors of those who suffer this affliction.
Last year I wrote about my New Orleans family, and the connection that everyone in that town has with Steve Gleason and his fight.
None of this is to say that I am an expert. I know no one first-hand with ALS. The part of me that likes to keep “tough stuff” at arm’s length is grateful for that...as cynical as that might be.
Then came
along the social media phenomenon known as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Person by person, follower by follower, and
tribe by tribe…it grew. Really grew.
I watched
Laura Bush dump a bucket of cold water on George this morning.
I’ll bet
that sentence got the cynic in everyone’s palms twitching.
Compared to
other diseases that have their own movements to raise awareness and fight for attention,
advocacy, dollars, and (I pray on a daily basis) cures, the ALSA is a very
small player. The numbers of those who
suffer this disease are far fewer than breast cancer or diabetes. In my mind, that makes this challenge all the better. Admittedly, if you polled everyone who has
taken the challenge so far, my guess is that a majority would not be able to
give you a definition that even closely resembles ALS.
And to all of the viral success the ice bucket challenge has garnered, the cynics have responded. My facebook and twitter accounts are rife
with friends who “just don’t get it” or believe that the movement is more narcissism
than it is altruism.
So what if
it is? Are you telling me that all the
pink tutus at the Komen Race aren’t?
Or, even worse, are you telling me that they are, and therefore that
movement should be ignored as well?
Some are
worried that this movement has no alpha and therefore will have no omega. Ironically,
the beginning of this story is centered around another sports figure. One of the better college baseball players of
my generation, Pete Frates, was stricken with the disease at twenty seven.
Here is ESPN’s (who deserves a lot of credit again for the coverage of both this and Steve Gleason) story of how Pete’s friends started this challenge.It’s hard to remain cynical about something, when that something is staring you in the face.
As to the fear that people will be pouring buckets of ice water on their heads in perpetuity....the cynic in me hopes, for the sake of Steve, Morrie, Pete and countless others, that long may it continue.
