Alright, obviously, the death of Peter Jennings does not have a direct effect on our lives, but it gives us a moment to reflect. I now feel like I know everything that there is to know about him, if only because the news of his death interrupted Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Apparently, Peter Jennings was a smoker for most of his life. And, although he quit in the 80’s, the damage that the cigarettes did to his body could not be completely reversed. During an announcement, in April, Peter Jennings revealed to the world that he had lung cancer, but seemed very hopeful that the medical community could cure him as it has with some before. No doubt with his stature and wealth he had the best doctors and treatments available trying to make that hope of beating the cancer a reality. But, no matter how advanced our medical technology gets, it cannot be sure to counteract the damage that we do to our bodies.
The obvious point here is that no matter who you are, if you are a smoker, there is no technology that can be counted on to free you of the consequences of your decision to smoke. And yes, it is a decision. It may be addicting, but it is a decision that a person makes to continue to give in to their addiction. I would implore you, along with Peter Jennings, whose final years were spent trying to encourage people to quit smoking, to put them down and get help, no matter who you are. It is a vise that can and will kill you; we only hope that the people that we love will not have to die the same painful way as did Peter Jennings.
Dustin