GREY MUTTER lance fredericks That deadly enemy within

RECENTLY, I read about a young man named Derek Kieper from Nebraska in the USA who was so passionate about the idea that seat-belt laws violated his sacred individual liberties, that he wrote an opinion column about it that was published in The Daily Nebraskan in September 2004.

In his column he made it clear: “Telling me to wear my seat belt is the same as making sure I have some sort of proper education before diving into a swimming pool. If I want to dive in without knowing how to swim, that is my right.

“And if I want to be the jerk that flirts with death and rides around with my seat belt off, I should be able to do that, too.”

Less than four months later, Kieper died in a car accident. Two of his friends in the car survived.

They were wearing seat belts.

But then consider this sad tale ... Fit, in his prime, and competing at the highest level, Portugal’s Francisco Lazaro’s tragic claim to fame is that he became the first Olympic athlete to die in the modern games. His death occurred during the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm.

Lazaro collapsed at around the 30km mark of the marathon. At first it was thought that his death was due to heat exhaustion because of the extreme heat on the day of the race, but at the autopsy, the actual reason for the athlete’s death was sobering.

It was discovered that, in the days before the invention of sunscreens, Lazaro had covered his skin with wax to prevent sunburn; this was common practice at the time. However, the young man had become too zealous to protect himself that, unable to perspire normally, he died from an electrolyte imbalance, because the sweat could not be released from his pores.

It’s almost ironic, keen to protect himself from the burning ball of gas 150 million kilometres away, Larazo was killed by what was inside him.

Many of us (yes, I am often included in this group) believe in doing what FEELS right, what FEELS good and what FEELS acceptable … in the process ignoring what IS actually right, good and acceptable.

I can only imagine what was said at the funerals of these two young men. Besides the obvious, that using wax as a sunscreen is bad news and that wearing a seat belt is a good idea; I imagine the families standing around saying what is always said at funerals …

“See how quickly things happen? We must put our differences aside. We must get together more often.”

Followed by the old favourite: “Before it is too late!” Isn’t it odd how death brings families together, but life keeps them apart?

There always seems to be that moment of clarity after the death of a loved one, a friend, or even an acquaintance – a brief window when we realise the importance of “the other”. And yet it is amazing to me to witness how something called “social” media is driving people further apart.

Currently we are exposed to “device-advice” that encourages us to avoid what FEELS bad or uncomfortable or unacceptable.

And people are jumping on this bandwagon.

“Just walk away, look after yourself and cut ties with those who make you FEEL less than important,” seems to be the message these days. Almost like advising someone to coat themselves in emotional wax, so as not to feel the heat of disagreements and conflicting opinions.

Yet, often criticism, conflict and disagreements are nature’s way of cleansing ourselves of toxins like pride, indifference and apathy. If we don’t deal with them and flush them from our systems … it could poison us – to death!

A solid character is formed not by occasionally making right choices, but by regularly wrestling and fighting against bad influences … and if we are not exposed to things that challenge us, how can we develop?

Even if it feels as restrictive as, let’s say, wearing a seat belt.