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I missed out on last weekends round-up so I’m hitting 2 birds with one stone (or post).
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Last week’s question was, appropriately, about the just opened Olympic games. The question asks:
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If you were an Olympian, what sport would you be participating in?

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Ever since I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated with water sports. Not that I’m very competent in any kind of water sport, I just like watching. Of all the events I particularly like Synchronized Swimming. I don’t know why, maybe those Esther Williams movies I watched as a kid (on Channel 9 back in the ’70s) got to me.
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I also had 2 aunts who were synchronized swimmers during college. My lola would show me pictures of them in their modest swimsuits and their floral swim caps and I found them so beautiful. My lolo also used to take me to Sulo Hotel way back when and we used to watch those “mermaids” in the restaurant’s aquarium.
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For me, sychronized swimming is like a ballet. The graceful movements and the timed precision is simply fascinating. The only thing I don’t like are those geeky nose clips. If only they could find some apparatus that would prevent the swimmers from looking like they had a really bad nose job then things would be perfect.
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This week’s question deals with our dreams and what we would be willing to do to fulfill the dreams of our neighbors.
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This week’s question asks :
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If you were to decide what advocacy would you like to campaign for as an advocate or being involved in a foundation, what sector of the society would you like to serve?

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I come from a family that has been afflicted with maladies both curable and downright deadly. Asthma, hypertension, blocked arteries, coronary disease, you name it, we have someone in the family who has it. But the killer of many of my kin is cancer. Several forms and in different stages.
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My own father was taken from us by the big C. My favorite first cousin succumbed to cancer at 25 years old. My Lolo lived for 3 months after being diagnosed with it. An uncle has it and is in remission. An aunt died from it last year. And just last Friday another uncle passed on after 3 years of battling the disease.
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There are several foundations catering to those who can’t afford treatment. There’s the Cancer Warriors and Kythe. Then theres the Philippine Cancer Society of which my uncle is the chairman (he is the father of my cousin who died of cancer).
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If I could have an advocacy of my own, I would like to spearhead a group that is trying to find a cure. I’m aware that there are probably a lot out there already but if I had the resources, another such group would be another ray of hope for those who are suffering. As it is, there is still no such thing as “the cure.” And to make matters worse, cancer is not only prevalent it is evolving or mutating into a more deadly form. I know that for a fact. When my father was undergoing treatment his doctors were surprised at how he was responding. It was like the cancer was exacting revenge on my father’s body because he was trying to fight it. The doctors were very honest with us that this was totally new to them. Like a new disease. Until the very end they really weren’t able to tag his cancer and say that it was of a particular kind.
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I know that this kind of advocacy is something that would cost a lot of money and should involve people of specialty. This is no ordinary group. But maybe if there are more like me who have the same wish and the same desire, then maybe this dream of mine may find fruition in the not so distant future.

Categories : Weekly Question, meme