Every Second Counts

Today’s topic is one that goes far back in my history, much like many of you I am sure, cancer.  30+ years ago my father was stricken with cancer and again two more times.  I am lucky as he was a fighter and remains healthy and active today.  Lance Armstrong’s Every Second Counts chronicles his fight against cancer (four years after he began remission) during his second Tour de France race.  The book goes from stories of the people who he helped, the struggles of morning treatments, to the fear of cancer returning, losing the race, and finally to his struggles with married life. The book also follows the allegations of Armstrong’s drug use and his team (Postal) members.  Armstrong’s vulnerability shows in moments of his failing marriage as a husband and how he sometimes wasn’t aware of how important his role of fighting cancer played when meeting a cancer stricken man at the White House.  Armstrong’s stark upbringing in a single family household seemingly taught him how to fight, persevere, and never give up even in the presence of pain and desperation.  The physical pain he endured was thoughtfully presented as was the failure of others to endure.  He serves as a role model for many with his active involvement in his own foundation.  One thing I have learned first-hand from fighters (like my father) is that it is innate and I don’t think it can be taught.  My father can think away headaches and the pain of living with limited to no stomach or intestines, though still works in his own business at age 80+…  inspirational… hmmm he wouldn't say so, nor would I.  It is the way of life, knowing how important he is to our family and also to the community that he interacts.  Armstrong inspires us for his ability to fight on the bicycle, 7(!!!) times on the tour, and serves as hope for those who fight the worst with the disease.  As a human, there are sides of Armstrong that comes through in the book that are not so attractive, ego and self-absorption, but so too do we all have our quirks and personality “traits” that make some folks attracted to us and others not.  At times the book is motivating, but at times I really didn't like Armstrong which affected my own feelings of the book.  Not sure it was integrated as well as it could have been… was it supposed to be about tour number 2? An epilogue and then another, reviewing tour win number 5, sprinkled in with a diary of details that, to be honest, were not all that interesting.  I felt I was tuning in to a weekly serial and missed a year or two of shows.  I still admire what he was capable of accomplishing.