It's the Little Things

"What we call little things are merely the causes of great things; they are the beginning, the embryo, and it is the point of departure which, generally speaking, decides the whole future of an existence. One single black speck may be the beginning of a gangrene, of a storm, of a revolution." 

--Henri Frederic Ameil

In the beginning of November, I participated in a crew race called Head of the Hooch. The race took place in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and every year it is the second largest regatta held in the country. Many schools nationwide attend and there are thousands of competitors that race every year in this particular regatta. As a crew team, we travel to several races every year, however, this race is my favorite to date. This year they dedicated five races to be titled "Row for the Cure" races and my race was the last one of the day. For these particular races, each competitor is given a pink t-shirt to race in. To stand at the finish line and watching countless boats racing towards the finish line in matching pink uniforms is breathtaking. To be part of one of these races is extraordinary. It's something small, but it is a truly amazing experience to be at the starting line of the race and to look behind you and see a sea of pink and then to look forward and see even more. 

[courtesy of: Jordan Nadar]

To coordinate that many people to stand behind such an important thing is genuinely inspiring. It may seem insignificant to get a few people to wear a t-shirt in a race but to me it's much more. The feeling is similar to being at a concert and everyone in the audience is singing along to the same song you're singing. That feeling of collaboration and unity is out of this world. 

Pink Month

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, it got me thinking about the disease. How many women does this particular cancer affect? How many families have to experience this deadly burden? How many women end up losing their life from breast cancer? I was floored to find out that breast cancer is actually the most "popular" cancer and for women, it causes the second most deaths originating with cancer. Also, it is a genetic illness. If someone in your family developed breast cancer, you are more likely to develop it yourself. Breast cancer isn't exactly something you want running in the family. No wonder we have a whole month devoted to the awareness of it. All October long, I saw people everywhere wearing pink clothing to promote research and understanding of the illness. On campus, I was handed countless fliers, pamphlets, and small gifts in order to get the word out about the reason behind the “awareness” month.

        

This October struck a chord in me that no other Breast Cancer Awareness Month has before. I have a totally different respect for the people who take so much time out of their day to try to get people to listen and understand, even if it's just a little bit. Even if everyone who is handed an information sheet just reads one sentence of what it says, it matters. It really makes a difference to spread the word as much as possible. The more support behind the expansion of knowledge of this disease, the closer we are to a cure. I know that the movement towards finding a cure doesn't just take place in October, it is happening all the time. Breast Cancer Awareness is twenty-four/seven. However, it is awesome to see how much more support and hard work is put into the fight each and every year. 

[megasportsnews.com]