Thursday, August 12, 2010

Are Extraordinary Measures The Preserve Of Extraordinary People?

By Mari Schultz

Extraordinary Measures is a movie starring Harrison Ford. The movie is based on a real life family who take a remarkable approach to the degenerative disease their children suffer. Frustrated at being unable to find a cure for an illness affecting their children and unwilling to sit back and do nothing the parents risk everything they have to fund researcher in this field. Is this a remarkable step to take? Would not every parent do the same for their sick child?

The answer to this is yes of course most parents would sacrifice all for the health and well being of their family. Most parents however are not as financially equipped nor do they possess the knowledge and skills the proactive parents of the movie enjoy.

It is probably no coincidence the movie was released in January of this year. The same Month Barack Obama was inaugurated as President of the United States. His Presidency heralded an era of hope in American History. The movie released in the inaugural month symbolizes this new age of hope. For American society the movie represents their perceptions of the American way of life for example battling on in the face of adversity.

Human beings resilience, their ability to bounce back, is a much underestimated trait. Without resilience human beings would not have survived this long. The main theme of the movie demonstrates the resilience of families faced with difficult situations and having to make hard choices. It is not about finding a cure it is about finding humanity.

Those already aware of the current health insurance debate in America will have noticed the sub text within the movie brings this issue to the fore. It highlights concerns most American have around health insurance and is a nod of the head in the direction of the new President who hopes to make changes to the current, failing health care system.

Americans do not hold a monopoly on overcoming daily challenges and winning through despite the odds. This is common among most cultures. Across the globe people triumph over tragedy and adversity and go on to create hope even in the hardest of hearts.

Single parents struggle, sometimes in poverty, to bring up health, happy children. The fact that many do so, some without support networks, is an achievement worthy of note. A married couple staying together through good times and bad times is a triumph of hope over cynicism. People with disabilities striving to live independent lives within societies which have little patience for those who can not keep pace and managing to do so with grace and optimism is hopeful. Children surviving war and abuse and going on to promote peace and non aggression inspire hope. Volunteering is an example of how many human beings give of their time and skills to others for the benefit of mankind. Many communities and charities would not survive without an army of volunteers.

Extraordinary measures are taken by people the world over. Going above and beyond what is expected of human beings as parents, children, colleagues, brothers and sisters, neighbours, communities occurs on a daily basis in all walks of life. People are social beings and positive, meaningful interaction with each other is necessary for societies to survive. A new President, what is more a new Black President, has ushered America into a period of optimism. Here is hoping cynicism is kept at bay for quite sometime to come. - 40731

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