Are You Hurtin' Enough to Move?

In October 2009, Alex Guerrero published an article in the publication To Your Health titled "Playing to Win: Injury Prevention Is the Key". The article was about the San Diego Chargers running back, LaDainian Tomlinson, who, at that time, with almost 12,000 rushing yards (he finished the year with 12,490), was well on track to becoming, in Mr. Guerrero's words, "the National Football League's most prolific runner."

The article actually focuses on LaDainian's philosophy of how to win: paying attention to safety and preventing injury. This is done by training in order to be and stay in shape, regular exercise to discover any weak areas of the body, and being smart about how much you do, insuring that proper recovery is a part of the schedule. It's an excellent article and I have barely brushed the surface of it. You can find the article readily on the internet.

The point I want to make about this article is in the title: "Prevention Is The Key". In my previous post I introduced you to an allegorical poem written in 1895 that epitomizes this point. We can save ourselves so much time, money and effort if we would just focus on preventing things from happening rather than cleaning up after the fact. Disease prevention should be the main focus of the medical community. I agree that we need cures for the diseases we battle that are so debilitating. But I contend that if just half of the money and effort was expended toward prevention, which includes education, we wouldn't have near the number of occurrences of those same diseases. It makes me so mad that I didn't know that I shouldn't eat the way I ate as I was growing up. It makes me mad that I didn't know the effects that stress could have on my body physically. If I had known these things, along with others, I fully believe I wouldn't be a diabetic today.

The story is told of a South American tribe in which everyone was dying by 30 years of age. Scientists were brought in to investigate as to the cause. What they found was that a small bug that lived in the mud of the huts of the tribe was the culprit. The Chief of the Tribe was given four choices: Rebuild with concrete, move, poison the bugs, or do nothing and die early. Do you know what they decided to do?

And then there was the hillbilly, sitting on his front porch with his old hound dog. One day a city slicker drove up and asked for directions. The hillbilly asked the visitor to "come on up and sit a spell" with him. As the two sat and pondered the universe, about every five minutes the old hound dog would let out a big yelp. Finally the city slicker asked the fellow what in the world was wrong with his dog. The hillbilly answered, "He's layin' on a nail." "Why doesn't he move?" "Well," came the reply, "he ain't hurtin' enough to move!"

If you really believed that you could do something to improve your health, would you act on that belief? Are you hurtin' enough to move?

The Ambulance in the Valley

I want to begin this promised series with a story (actually a poem) that was related to me. In doing research, I found this same story on the internet in at least 2 other places. I discovered that it's author was Joseph Malins and that it was written in 1895! I think that fact proves the saying, "the more things change, the more they stay the same!" Perhaps you have heard this story before . . .

A Fence or an Ambulance*

“Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed,
Though to walk near its crest was so pleasant;
but over its terrible edge there had slipped
A duke and full many a peasant.
So the people said something would have to be done,
But their projects did not at all tally;
Some said, “Put a fence around the edge of the cliff,”
Some, “An ambulance down in the valley.”

But the cry for the ambulance carried the day,
For it spread through the neighboring city;
A fence may be useful or not, it is true,
But each heart became brimful of pity
For those who slipped over that dangerous cliff;
And the dwellers in highway and alley
Gave pound or gave pence, not to put up a fence,
But an ambulance down in the valley.

“For the cliff is all right, if you’re careful,” They said,
“And, if folks even slip and are dropping,
It isn’t the slipping that hurts them so much,
As the shock down below when they’re stopping.”
So day after day, as these mishaps occurred,
Quick forth would these rescuers sally
To pick up the victims who fell off the cliff,
With their ambulance down in the valley.

Then an old sage remarked; “its a marvel to me
That people give far more attention
To repairing results than to stopping the cause,
When they’d much better aim at prevention.
Let us stop at its source all this mischief.” cried he,
“Come neighbors and friends, let us rally;
If the cliff we will fence we might almost dispense
With the ambulance down in the valley.”

“Oh, he’s a fanatic,” The others rejoined,
“Dispense with the ambulance? Never!
He’d dispense with all charities, too, if he could;
No! No! We’ll support them forever.
Aren’t we picking up folks just as fast as they fall?
And shall this man dictate to us? Shall he?
Why should people of sense stop to put up a fence,
While the ambulance works in the valley?”

But a sensible few, who are practical too,
Will not bear with such nonsense much longer;
They believe that prevention is better than cure,
And their party will soon be the stronger.
Encourage them then, with your purse, voice , and pen,
And while other philanthropists dally,
They will scorn all pretense and put up a stout fence
On the cliff that hangs over the valley.

Better guide well the young then reclaim them when old,
For the voice of true wisdom is calling,
“To rescue the fallen is good, but ’tis best
To prevent other people from falling.”
Better close up the source of temptation and crime
Than deliver from dungeon or galley;
Better put a strong fence round the top of the cliff
Than an ambulance down in the valley

-Joseph Malins 1895

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I'm sure you've heard that before. I'm afraid that many industries today make millions off the mentality of the folks who wanted the ambulance in the valley. In this series, however, we are going to examine the other recourse: the fence.