It's May 9, 2003. News came in today about the impact SARS (Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome) has had on the economy of Toronto, and the statistics
are pretty grim.
  For those who are not familiar with the background of this story: SARS is a
virus-borne disease similar to the flu or a bad case of pneumonia, which
appears to be very contagious and deadly. It is a new disease, and this is
exactly why it's made world headlines: Nobody has ever seen or experienced
this disease before, and suddenly it appears to be spreading all across the
world. Where did it come from, and how? Nobody is sure how it started, but it
seems to have originated in China. Although several Asian countries
(especially China and Singapore) have become hotbeds of the virus, there is
only one place in the world outside of Asia where SARS has been concentrated
enough to create a stir: Toronto, the largest city in Canada and the place
where I currently live.
  Yet not that many people in Toronto actually caught SARS. Only an extremely
small percentage of the populace were infected by the disease, and among
those who were, only about 10% of those actually died. In all, just slightly
over 20 people have died of SARS in Toronto, which is not a large number in a
city of well over 2 million people.
  And yet the numbers from the economic reports are much bigger. Huge shifts
in the economy were observed during the SARS scare, with significantly lower
amounts of business in many places, especially for businesses which require
people to congregate in a public place, such as restaurants. The economic
impact of the disease is difficult to measure exactly, but it seems likely
that more than one business has been forced out of business on the effects of
SARS alone.
  All this because of a disease that hardly anybody actually caught. In terms
of infection, SARS was a relatively minor incident. It does not seem
deserving of the title "epidemic". Yet economically, SARS was a disaster for
many in the city. The grim irony is clear: People were afraid of losing their
lives to SARS, but what most people really ended up losing was their
livelihood. It is impossible to estimate how many individual lives and
families have been destroyed because of the near-paranoia that circulated.
  I cannot help but see a parallel between this event and the fallout of
September 11. The worst part of September 11 was not the actual events that
transpired on that day, but rather the changes that were brought about in
people's lives. Countless people lost their jobs, and a year and a half
later, people are still losing more jobs than gaining them. I do not wish to
downplay the tragedy of the 3,000 people who lost their lives in the wreckage
of the destroyed aircraft and buildings, but many more people than that have
had their lives destroyed by not being able to support themselves. People
were afraid of another terrorist attack, of bombings or attacks from chemical
or biological weapons. Thus far, these events have not happened. This is not
to say that they cannot, but if they do they will be in the future, while the
spectre of joblessness and, ultimately, homelessness is a very real and
present danger for people today, and has already been for well over a year.
  People fear giant disasters. They are afraid that they might die in a plane
crash, or that there might be an outbreak of some disease, or that they might
be killed in some kind of terrorist bombing. Yet the real disaster in modern,
everyday life is the state of life itself. Today, we have more people than
ever before struggling desperately just to stay alive. And we have more
people than ever who are failing dismally at this, withering to death and
blowing away like dust in the wind, because there was no room for them in the
world.
  I keep being struck with how worthless life seems, not only for myself, but
for others. Life, which many say is the most valuable thing in this world, is
actually very cheap nowadays. It is easy to die, and there are many people in
this world who quite simply would not be missed by anyone; They have no
friends, and they have no direction in life, so when they die, they are not
missed by anyone because nobody even know who they were. They simply rot
away. This is not speculation: This has happened, and is happening, to many
people in the world. Life is not valuable in our world; It is easy to be
born, and easy to die. It is easy to make a baby (all two people have to do
is "what comes naturally"), and easy to kill someone.
  Today more than ever, it is time for you to live as if your life was worth
something. Death is not the worst thing that can happen to you. Do not be
afraid of dying in a car accident tomorrow, or getting killed by robbers. Be
afraid of wasting the life that has been given to you. Live like you have a
purpose, because as long as you are alive, there is a purpose for you in this
world. All you have to do is look for it. And when you find it, then death is
not the terrible spectre it once seemed, because you know that no matter how
good life is, everybody dies eventually anyway; At least you will have died
knowing that you led the best, fullest life you could, that you made the most
of what was given to you.