People used to die from consumption. Does that mean they ate too much?
These days, some of us do seem to be consuming a lot — food, space, information, and time trying to figure out how to get even more. The consumption I’m talking about, though, refers to a specific disease: tuberculosis, or simply TB. Although consumption (aka “the evil disease”) isn’t mentioned much anymore in countries that have widespread vaccination programs, the deadly bacterial infection hasn’t gone away. Tuberculosis continues to kill in unprotected and vulnerable populations around the world. Once a leading cause of death in the United States and people would refer to it as consumption is now almost eradicated through medical advancements over the years.
I was thinking on this as I have been reading the history of some of my ancestors and have run upon this word a couple times. “They passed or died due to consumption….I always wondered what that meant and why we don’t hear about it now. Well now you know and now you know why you don’t hear about this terrible disease any more or not much anyway in the US.
But as I have mused on this over the last couple days…..we are all so consumed by things and sometimes we lose our way or feel like we are losing our way. “We are lost due to consumption.” Life has a way of consuming most if not all of our time. Life seems to be consumed by so many things, distractions, conflicts, priorities, bills, work, school, lessons, appointments, travel, vacations, yards, family, parents, children, and the list could go on for ever…..or consume you forever. However….that is what life is or that is how life happens.
Have you heard this quote before? “Many of the things you count, do not count. Many of the things you cannot count, really do count.”
So how do you make sense of what consumes your time and life? Because whether you know it or not you will use and consume all of your time and life by something. We need to make sure that the things that consume our time and life Count.
Can you count Love? Can you count caring and helping the poor or less fortunate? I guess you can but it is hard to. You can count your money, you can count your things, you can count your toys……but can you count a good deed done to a stranger?
My thought to you today is “Many of the things you count, do not count. Many of the things you cannot count, really do count.”
I really appreciate every one of you and how you are an integral part of the Young business family. Thank you for all you do and I hope you enjoy life as it happens and work on the things that are hard to count.
Have a great weekend and what are your thoughts on consumption?
sysr
Great post Spencer, that quote was enlightening and something more to ponder on today.
Enjoy your Sunday.
Thank you! I needed this one.