I first heard about scleroderma, a disease
which causes hardening of the skin and internal organs, in a TV
movie entitled "For Hope", a story of the life and death (from
scleroderma) of the sister of the writer and director of the
movie, Bob Saget. The person in the movie who made the greatest
impression on me, however, was Sharon Monsky, who actually has
scleroderma, playing herself. I later found, and read, a great
deal more about Ms. Monsky, who founded the Scleroderma Research
Foundation, including an interview in McCall's
where she described her thoughts when they finally diagnosed her
symptoms as scleroderma, and explained the disease to her: "My
body was turning to stone." This struck me as an
all-too-descriptive metaphor for what seems to be happening to
our whole country in the last 15 to 20 years, and this song is
what came from that thought. And by the way, whatever your
opinion of the song, please check out the Scleroderma Research Foundation Web
site, and send them a contribution-- it's a good cause that
doesn't get nearly enough attention.
Two later addtions: I was very saddened to hear recently that Sharon Monsky had lost her long fight with scleroderma, and had died on May 11, 2002-- 18 years after the doctors had given her just 2 years to live. And the problem of overspending on the military, to the detriment of the real needs of the people of this country and the world, has only gotten worse in the time since I wrote this song.
VERSE 1:
She was once a champion skater, a ball of fire out on the ice.
And in her work, and her marriage, she was blessed, she
realized.
But then the energy she'd skated on was nowhere to be found;
And finally, they said, “Three more years, and you won't be
around.”
CHORUS:
Her body was turning to stone –
Losing touch with everything that she had ever known.
And now I wonder: Is something like this happening to everyone?
Is everybody turning to stone?
VERSE 2:
But then she had the baby they said she just couldn't bear;
Then she started a foundation for all the ones like her out
there.
It still hurts to button buttons, to open doors, but then again,
She says, “I've got to keep on going – I haven't got
time for the pain.”
CHORUS
BRIDGE:
Now the money that might find a cure is putting bombers in the
air --
Have our hearts become so hardened we've forgotten how to
care?
CHORUS
END:
Is everybody … turning to stone?
Dedicated to the memory of Sharon Monsky, founder of the Scleroderma Research Foundation, who, by the courage she
showed in the face of a terrible disease, has shown us just how
much of a difference one dedicated person can make.
Questions? Comments? Please send e-mail to jbearden@ieee.org
Material Copyright © 1998-2003 by Jim Bearden