Every exploration of the unknown poses both the promise of reward and the threat of failure and or destruction. This need to explore is sometimes driven by a circumstance where sitting still comes at the cost of being a continuing victim of an unyielding and harsh reality that continues to punish us, unless we explore its depths, to discover its secrets and to harness what was once our master.
In this exploration it is the brave pioneers who sometimes pay the ultimate price for the benefits that those of future generations can take for granted. Medical advance is one of these exploration fronts that demands this sacrifice, and many pioneering heroes lives have been lost in the pursuit of the value that comes understanding and bringing to order what was once chaos. To honor those that were willing as well as those that were simply caught in the crossfire of this ambivalent pursuit, this choice between the bloody and the bloodier, we should perhaps pause from time to time to remember their sacrifice fondly.
Here is one small example of that sacrifice that is the unfortunate cost of realizing the promises that, once discovered and harnessed, pay us all dividends from that point forward.
The Wisdom Of Life 