Relay For Life is June 19-20 (re-posted)

This is a post from the end of March that has dropped off the visible part of my blog, but I am re-posting it becasue I feel it is important and I would like as many people as possible to see it.
As many of you already are aware, Laureen, Erin and I have been participating in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life event in West Orange, NJ for the past 4 years. Well, last year, I chose to get more involved and joined the planning committee as the Logistics Chairperson, a title I retain this year. Laureen, Erin and I have a great time every year, but get a little lonely out there over the course of the night. We'd love to have an influx of new team members to help us in our fight to raise money and hopefully, one day, eradicate this pernicious disease that has affected us all in one way or another.

The event, in a nutshell, is an all-night fundraiser. It is held at West Orange High School at their track, and the goal is to have at least one member of your team walking around the track at all times during the night. We lead off the night with a celebration of the Cancer Survivors present at the event... they take the first lap as a triumphant group to the rousing cheers of the more than 1000 people assembled. The next lap is devoted to the Survivors' Caregivers, who walk a lap with their Survivor loved-ones, once again with the cheers of over a thousand people as their backdrop. Then the teams join them on the track, and the entire "Community" (I say community because that's what you become that night, 1000+ souls all united, working together towards one common goal) begins to "Relay".

I hesitate to use the word "Party", because of the seriousness and respect afforded to the very real, insidious disease to which this event is pledged, but for much of the event, a party-like atmosphere pervaids the track and the areas immediately around it. At past events, there have been DJ's, a bounce house, clowns, and a dunk tank for the kids present, fire engines, refreshments (available for a small donation to benefit, what else, the ACS Relay For Life), dance troupes, live bands, themed laps (like a silly hat lap), and probably many more things that I am forgetting to list. And if that stuff sounds fun, trust me, this year will be even better. Why? Well, for starters, this is the 5-year anniversary of the first Relay in West Orange, so we are pulling out all the stops. I'm afraid I can't reveal all of the details, but trust me... on the evening of June 19th, in Northern NJ, there will not be a more happening place to be (OK... OK... maybe I'm overselling it... but only by a tiny bit, I assure you). It's really fun. Come check it out.

Of course, even with all the fun, we never lose sight of the importance of our cause. Every week, in Essex County, NJ alone, 74 people are diagnosed with some form of cancer. To me, that is a mind-boggling number. That's one county over the course of one week. Take a second and think about that...



... Now, extrapolate that over an entire state, over the course of a year. Or go nationwide. The numbers are downright frightening. Of course, the spectre of cancer claims friends, loved ones, neighbors, and aquaintances every year. I have never met a person who has not been touched by cancer in some way, it is just that prevalent.

In keeping with the very serious nature of the disease and what it means to our "Community" gathered at the track on the day of the event, we have a very poignant, moving ceremony after dark where we light over a thousand Luminaries lining the track, either In Honor Of Survivors of cancer or In Remembrance Of a Loved One taken by cancer. These lighted bags are so much more than a paper bag, a candle, and some sand. Each bag is a symbol... a symbol of love, respect, support (for the Survivors), and commemoration (for those lost to cancer). Most of all, they are hope... over a thousand beacons of hope... hope that there is a cure out there somewhere, and that with enough outreach, advocacy, elbow grease, and of course funds, we will find it (and sooner rather than later).

So please, if you're still with me, and you've taken the time to read this far, then join our team, raise some money, and take part in our event. Or, if you are unable or not interested in joining the team, then please take just a few minutes more, and check out my donation page for Relay: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/john_e_mcdermott

Literally every dollar we collect brings us closer to a cure! Thank you for your love and support!

How do you want to be remembered?

Maybe its just a natural function of getting older, but I find myself contemplating my own mortality lately. This inevitably leads to my speculating about what kind of legacy I will leave behind... in short how will I be remembered, or more importantly, how do I want to be remembered? Of course, these thoughts then color the decisions that I make, the actions that I take, whether it is consciously or not.

Don't misunderstand... I still look at every situation that presents itself and make my determination based on the merits of the options available. And in many cases (if not most), there is a clear-cut, right option. But as I get older, and now that I am a father, I find that I am more prescient of the long-term ramifications of my actions and decisions. It matters to me how my Daughter will someday look back on me... on the life I led and the example I set for her.

This brings me to my point. We live in such a blame-free society where nobody is supposed to pass judgement on anyone else for anything. There's a certain element of hedonistic debauche that permeates our culture and is force-fed to our children. The only way to counteract this overwhelming influence is to teach them right from wrong, give them the confidence to fearlessly choose right over wrong, and then live the ideals that we preach to them in our own lives. It can be done. My Parents are living examples of the ideals that they espoused to us growing up. They held us to a high standard, but they have always lived up to those standards themselves. And they are who they are largely because of their Parents, my Grandparents, who raised them with love and guidance, often sacrificing their own wants for the betterment of their families.

So how do I want to be remembered someday when God takes me from this Earth? Well, in short, the same way that I remember my Dad's Parents or my Mom's Dad, or the way I respect my Parents and my Mom's Mom... as someone who put their family before themselves and lived the life that they preached to their children. Of course, if you want to remember me as the handsome McDermott Brother, I'd be pretty cool with that as well.

Flashback

Funny how such totally random things trigger such long, seemingly lost memories to come rushing back to the surface. The other night, while Brian and I were discussing the NCAA Basketball Tournament, I had this sudden, almost deja-vu flashback to a debate between Dan Rusy, Jon Savino, and several other members of my class from early high school. They were arguing about Syracuse, St. John's, and Georgetown. I can suddenly remember the look of wild-eyed disbelief and disgust on Jon's face when Dan disagreed with him. It seems to me that the debate was in music class. It also seems to me that we did not spend much time learning about music in that class. Alas, there were no winners in that debate... everyone shouted his case, shouted down his opponent, and left feeling more secure in his support of whichever team he had previously been supporting... hmmm... sounds a lot like Congress today.

The Inaugural Post

So why a blog? Well, I'm not so pretentious as to believe I have such powerful and profound thoughts that I must share them with the world... However, I do love to write... I find a certain amount of peace in organizing and composing my thoughts (however inane they ultimately may end up being).

So I suppose this blog is an exercise in therapy for myself. And of course, the romantic in me also misses the days of written correspondence between family and friends, and views this as a way to recapture some of the spirit of good old-fashioned snail mail ("but John, the US Postal Service still exists, you can still send letters the old-fashioned way if you want to "... I know... I know... I didn't say that all of my ramblings were going to make sense).

This brings me to the title of my new blog. Why "The Pursuit of Happiness". Well, I wanted something fairly broad in scope that would allow me to cover many topics in one place (basically whatever twisted thoughts populate my mind at any given time). Plus I wanted something that would convey my love of this great nation of ours in an understated way... and what's more American than the Pursuit of Happiness? It comes right out of our founding document.

As to content, expect it to be wide-ranging, basically taking us wherever my latest whim steers. Topics could range from current events or history, to sports, family, politics, books, art & music, to maybe even some of my fictional writings (if I am feeling particularly brave). Basically, if it catches my fancy, you will find it here. So please check back from time to time, and feel free to interact... leave comments, criticisms, suggestions. And remember, happiness is just around the corner.