查爾斯·紮諾爾/Charles Zanor
I did not know who Warren Zevon was until last year, when his impending death from lung cancer made the news. He was a singer-songwriter, and it turned out that I was very familiar with one of his pieces—the famous were wolf song that blares from the jukebox while Tom Cruise prances victoriously around the pool table in The color of Money. It has always been one of my favorite movie scenes.
Zevon's illness provoked a seemingly heartfelt show of support from others in the entertainment business. David Letterman featured him for an entire show, and at one point asked him if his illness had given him any wisdom. Zevon's response:“Enjoy every sandwich.”
To characterize this message as inspirational is probably over the top, but grant me this much—it stands in refreshing contrast to the stories of other victims of life-threatening illnesses that are intended to be inspirational but end up sounding superhuman. The protagonists in these tales meet any challenge, climb any mountain and draw their last breath with optimism and grace.
I admire the take-charge attitude and energy of such people, but I have nothing in common with them and they bear little resemblance to anyone I know. Zevon, however, I can relate to.
In February of 2002 I was diagnosed with lymphoma. Since that time I have become increasingly aware that the world-beater stories are simply part of a larger conspiracy to get everyone in the country to live life to the fullest—travel more, learn to play the tuba, teach our grandchildren about the fall of the Roman Empire, build our own lathes and turn that cherry tree in the front yard into salad bowls for the whole neighborhood.
Each of these ventures is fine when considered by itself (except maybe for the salad-bowl thing), but I am suspicious of the cultural imperative that whether we are sick or well, more is better. I have no quarrel with those who, faced with a catastrophic health event, want to put more pins in their maps, but there are some of us who simply find renewed meaning in our already existing worlds.