Debi Lewis: I march for life

While I could easily post several stories where medical science has prolonged the lives of loved ones, I'll instead say that I march for life.

Now, don't get your knickers in a twist. This is apolitical, folks.

When you think about scientific advances, many -- if not most -- have to do with quality of life. Science:

• Allows us to spend more time doing the things we find fulfilling by lessening the amount of time we must spend doing onerous tasks.
• Increases our independence well into our "twilight years."
• Lessens our impact on the environment resulting in cleaner air and water which, in turn, keeps us healthier and better able to enjoy our longer lives.
• Improves our access to distant friends and relatives.
• Enhances the ability of people with communication or mobility issues to study, to work, and to socialize.
• Increases our understanding of the natural world around us, both to appreciate its stunning complexity and to prevent us from doing harm to ourselves or our home.
• Enables us to maintain a sustainable, accessible food supply.
• Fixes us when we break.
• Prevents the spread of disease and mitigates its impact.
• Frees us to be creative. People who must spend all of their time simply meeting their survival needs do not have that luxury.

Science, in a nutshell, improves life. It's as simple as that.

Debi Lewis

Morgantown, WV