To be happy.

Today, I was in the mouse room when I ran into this guy who works at the mouse room. I know him because one time, I was going in while he was pushing the door to get out, and he pretty much slammed the door in my face. He kept apologizing for days after that, and obviously I hold no grudge. He's one of those happy-go-lucky simple guys who is nice to everyone and is always super cheery and happy.

Then I found out that he actually has multiple sclerosis when he had an episode one day in the mouse room and had to be sent to the hospital. It makes me sad. We study MS in the lab, but it's so detached from the actual reality of the disease that everyone conducts their experiments in a logical cool manner.

Today we were talking about how he has to shoulder the cost of the ambulance because the insurance might not cover it, and how he was forced to get on the ambulance because his manager said he doesn't want him "to be a liability to Scripps". It makes me sadder. How can colleagues be so cold towards him?

I started to put myself in his shoes. I can't imagine someone with MS being the person he is. So cheerful and so happy! He has to give himself shots every single day to prevent episodes from happening, and he was joking that he was sick of jabbing himself every day like a heroine addict. Not to mention that he is seriously compromised in the dating field. Not everyone would want to be with a person who is going to be severely handicapped in his old age. I have seen videos of clinical cases of MS, where a lady who is barely 40 lost all control of her limbs. How sad a life is that? The bad thing about MS is that after every episode, the condition gets worse, and there is no knowing when an episode will occur. And he is so cheerful still, and still working, cherishing every day he has. :(

Why does it take someone like that to make me realize how good I have it? I just wish that people in general are more content with their lives, me included. My new year resolution is to be content with what I have, and to cherish everything I have. Health, my lovely family, my education, my loving boyfriend and my great friends. Happiness... it's not as elusive as I thought.