When I was a resident in training, I spent a day working as a physician at the Indianapolis 500 race, with my lovely bride accompanying me. It was an impressive spectacle. In fact, at least then, it was the largest single day sporting event in the world, with some 300,000 attendees. (And coming around again next month by the way!)
Although I admit to never attending a NASCAR race, I’m sure it’s a similar feeling. The press of humanity, the sound of engines, the smell of gasoline, the rivers of soft-drinks and beer. The inappropriate clothing…but I digress. The whole thing was simultaneously exhilarating and overwhelming.
I sometimes reflect on the enormity of that place. And then I think, oddly enough, about loneliness and isolation, as if in stark contrast to the race. One of the worst things in the world is isolation, actual or perceived. Many people suffer enormously because they feel utterly alone in life. And worse, they feel alone in times of trial.
I wonder what would happen to the hearts and minds of those people if we had special days when everyone with similar problems could meet in a vast stadium for a day. If, from every small neighborhood and farm community, every big city, every subdivision, people could come together with others who shared their trials. Can you imagine? In order to help envision it, I’ve done a little research.
According to the CDC, about 3.5% of American adults suffer from Major Depression. Since we have about 314 million persons in the US, that comes to almost 11 million adults. (I’m not even counting children and adolescents afflicted with the same). If the Indianapolis Motor Speedway holds 250,000 persons (50,000 more in the infield), it would take 43 stadiums to get all of those folks into stadiums to come together.
How about that endless specter, cancer? The National Cancer Institute of NIH reports that in 2014 there were 14.5 million people living beyond their cancer diagnosis. They also report that it is estimated that in the US there will be some 1,685,000 new cases in 2016. That would require 138 stadiums the size of Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor to get the survivors together; many of whom still suffer anxiety and side effects of their treatments.
The Partnership for Drug Free Kids website says that there are, in America today, 22 million individuals addicted to drugs or alcohol. Since Clemson’s Death Valley only holds some 81,500 Tigers and other species, it would take a lot of similarly sized facilities to manage all of those with addiction issues. In fact, it would take 269 such stadiums, to be precise.
Sadly, about 800,000 persons are widowed each year in the United States, of which 700,000 are women, the remainder men. (From the website widowshope.org. ) While it would take fewer stadiums, it would still require the equivalent of eight versions of LSU’s Tiger Stadium.
In 2012, 1.25 million American adults and children had type 1, insulin dependent, diabetes. This from the American Diabetes Association, who should know such things after all. Getting them together for some low-carb food and fun would require 13 stadiums the size of Wembley in London. (For all of those fans of the ‘other’ football…)
It sounds like I’m trying to bring everyone down. But I’m not. My point is exactly the opposite. For all of the loneliness that all of these people may feel, the larger reality is that they are part of much larger groups. It’s all too easy, alone in the hospital, the doctor’s office, the same chair at home, the same lonely church pew, to feel completely alone.
This is, of course, the reason for support groups. It is also point of friendship, love and outreach. While we may not share all the same afflictions as others, we can certainly be with them, listen to them, comfort them in their trials. And to the extent that we have the same problems, we can be even greater reassurance. This is why we were instructed by St. Paul to ‘rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.’
We mean something entirely different when we quip, ‘misery loves company.’ But the truth is that it does. It craves company. Those in pain and loss, those struggling or afraid, need to know they aren’t alone.
And it needn’t take a trip to the Indy 500 to make that a reality.
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