It’s been a long time since I wrote anything for this blog because, well, y’know. Phase 1 of the pandemic (I totally think we are in the midst of it still and this winter is going to be chaotic and hard going on all levels, btw) totally knocked the stuffing out of me, as I suspect it did you too. I won’t dwell on that for now because there are a million other people writing about the impact of Covid-19, much better than I can.
Suffice to say it has been so long since I wrote anything here I had to google the page and I couldn’t find it. But there is another blog called six months to live and it’s reached a ten year anniversary, so kudos to them 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Nope, what I want to write about is the death of Chadwick Boseman. I don’t know any of his films apart from Black Panther, but I’ve been quite stunned to hear that he’s died aged 43 from bowel cancer, for which he has been receiving treatment for four years. FOR FOUR YEARS. For four years while filming (training for, preparing for, rehearsing for) arguably one of the biggest action films of the last decade. I mean COME ON, that is just incredible.
The fact he was (presumably intermittently) receiving what was (presumably pretty nasty) treatment, being (in all likelihood) told over time that it wasn’t working (or words to that affect), and ultimately that his cancer was advancing/inoperable/unstoppable, while working, giving graduation speeches, visiting hospitalised children with cancer….. the mind boggles.
My guess is that his (pretty incredible – repetitive I know, but I can’t think of a better word) legacy is going to set a standard for how to live with a (grim) diagnosis/prognosis, how to deal with your demons with composure, and how to continue to function and contribute to society, in whatever way you can. To LIVE to the best of your ability knowing that your life is coming to an end. That may not be possible for some people, but for others Chadwick Boseman will be a ray of light and hope when they are on the receiving end of “bad news”. What an incredible thing to leave in the world.
Wow. What a man.
Kate Woodthorpe 