Why We Need to Stop Using Cancer to Prompt Humorous Trends!
08:18:00
Following is my blog post that was published in The Nation (check it out here). It was an extremely proud moment for me since this topic is something that had been bothering me for quite some time and I managed to have it published in one of Pakistan's leading newspapers' blogs.
All these dumbfounding captions are followed by immensely ridiculous ‘comical’ videos that some will laugh to and share further while others will cringe, ignore and move on. This particular trend has bothered me for quite some time but I never voiced my disagreement till now, since cancer is a very sensitive topic for me and it really isn’t easy to pen down my feelings about it.
Let me start by asking you a question. You, being the person captioning these senseless videos. Why do you choose to use “cancer”, a deadly illness, to instigate comedy? How do you even come close to putting cancer and humour together? Do you know what cancer is? Do you know how many lives cancer has taken to date? Do you know how many families cancer has destroyed? I honestly feel that you don’t because if God forbid you did, you probably wouldn’t stoop down so low to share a couple of laughs!
Almost 10 years ago, I lost my mother to cancer. And all these years later, I have not been able to make peace with it. Many others can probably relate since cancer is unfortunately a widespread curse affecting millions of people around the globe. However, there are many who (thankfully) cannot understand the gravity of this disease. For them, I suppose, cancer is just a disease; or people who die from cancer die because they had to, one way or the other. Let me try and elucidate what cancer really does.
It steals everything from you. Health, personality, time, likes, hobbies, happiness, beauty, will to fight, will to live. Imagine not enjoying the food you loved because everything you eat tastes bitter. Imagine not being able to play your favourite sport because you just can’t. Imagine not being the happy-go-lucky person anymore because you don’t have the energy in you to smile. Imagine not being able to spend quality time with your family and friends because it is impossible for anyone to look beyond your deteriorating health. Imagine losing your hair. Imagine your entire body turning into a skeleton while you’re helpless. Imagine not being able to fulfill your dreams. In case of a recurrence, imagine going through the above all over again after believing you got a second chance at life.
The discomfort and never ending pain of the disease itself, the treatments (chemotherapy and radiation) and their side effects. No matter the location of the cancer, your entire body falls victim to it.
You become feeble and powerless; many a times, you’re not capable of drinking water or going to the toilet on your own. If the cancer wins, as if often does, a life is over. Everything that person had dreamed of and lived for is left behind. Sometimes, it doesn’t even give you the chance to say good bye or wrap up your affairs.
The devastation of the family is inexplicable. Not only is the person gone forever, but the fact that you were so helpless in making their last days agreeable and witnessed their pain increase many folds makes it an impossible thing to forget.
Different people go through different ordeals but much of this is common to all cancer-affected families. By stealing my mother however, cancer did much more to us.
It snatched our umbrella of safety and love from my brothers and me. It wiped away the glue that kept our family intact. It deprived us of a normal childhood. My younger brother and I spent our teenage years watching her fight to live on for us but the pain consumed her gradually. My youngest brother lacked a mother’s love while growing up; so much so that he isn’t even aware of its magnificence.
It took away my father’s companion, best friend and love at a time when he needed her most. Now, only her memories comfort him in his old age.
It robbed me of my biggest fan. She was supposed to be my life-long support. There will always be a giant hole in our lives that absolutely no one can fill. All milestones are incomplete without her and all achievements meaningless.
Do you need any more proof that cancer is by far not a joke? I understand that all deaths and illnesses are part of life and everyone has their set time in the world. I also strongly believe that Allah has written something amazing in the afterlife for all the souls who suffer here. Cancer, however, is a tragedy so close to me that compels me to beg you to stop this nonsense. Let's honour not only the departed souls but also the cancer survivors by refraining from using it and any other disease to prompt humorous trends.
“This advertisement will give you cancer.”
“This post is the new type of cancer.”
“Watch this video and get cancer in your eyes.”
All these dumbfounding captions are followed by immensely ridiculous ‘comical’ videos that some will laugh to and share further while others will cringe, ignore and move on. This particular trend has bothered me for quite some time but I never voiced my disagreement till now, since cancer is a very sensitive topic for me and it really isn’t easy to pen down my feelings about it.
Let me start by asking you a question. You, being the person captioning these senseless videos. Why do you choose to use “cancer”, a deadly illness, to instigate comedy? How do you even come close to putting cancer and humour together? Do you know what cancer is? Do you know how many lives cancer has taken to date? Do you know how many families cancer has destroyed? I honestly feel that you don’t because if God forbid you did, you probably wouldn’t stoop down so low to share a couple of laughs!
Almost 10 years ago, I lost my mother to cancer. And all these years later, I have not been able to make peace with it. Many others can probably relate since cancer is unfortunately a widespread curse affecting millions of people around the globe. However, there are many who (thankfully) cannot understand the gravity of this disease. For them, I suppose, cancer is just a disease; or people who die from cancer die because they had to, one way or the other. Let me try and elucidate what cancer really does.
It steals everything from you. Health, personality, time, likes, hobbies, happiness, beauty, will to fight, will to live. Imagine not enjoying the food you loved because everything you eat tastes bitter. Imagine not being able to play your favourite sport because you just can’t. Imagine not being the happy-go-lucky person anymore because you don’t have the energy in you to smile. Imagine not being able to spend quality time with your family and friends because it is impossible for anyone to look beyond your deteriorating health. Imagine losing your hair. Imagine your entire body turning into a skeleton while you’re helpless. Imagine not being able to fulfill your dreams. In case of a recurrence, imagine going through the above all over again after believing you got a second chance at life.
The discomfort and never ending pain of the disease itself, the treatments (chemotherapy and radiation) and their side effects. No matter the location of the cancer, your entire body falls victim to it.
You become feeble and powerless; many a times, you’re not capable of drinking water or going to the toilet on your own. If the cancer wins, as if often does, a life is over. Everything that person had dreamed of and lived for is left behind. Sometimes, it doesn’t even give you the chance to say good bye or wrap up your affairs.
The devastation of the family is inexplicable. Not only is the person gone forever, but the fact that you were so helpless in making their last days agreeable and witnessed their pain increase many folds makes it an impossible thing to forget.
Different people go through different ordeals but much of this is common to all cancer-affected families. By stealing my mother however, cancer did much more to us.
It snatched our umbrella of safety and love from my brothers and me. It wiped away the glue that kept our family intact. It deprived us of a normal childhood. My younger brother and I spent our teenage years watching her fight to live on for us but the pain consumed her gradually. My youngest brother lacked a mother’s love while growing up; so much so that he isn’t even aware of its magnificence.
It took away my father’s companion, best friend and love at a time when he needed her most. Now, only her memories comfort him in his old age.
It robbed me of my biggest fan. She was supposed to be my life-long support. There will always be a giant hole in our lives that absolutely no one can fill. All milestones are incomplete without her and all achievements meaningless.
Do you need any more proof that cancer is by far not a joke? I understand that all deaths and illnesses are part of life and everyone has their set time in the world. I also strongly believe that Allah has written something amazing in the afterlife for all the souls who suffer here. Cancer, however, is a tragedy so close to me that compels me to beg you to stop this nonsense. Let's honour not only the departed souls but also the cancer survivors by refraining from using it and any other disease to prompt humorous trends.
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