Taking Health For Granted

I read an article in the Sunday paper about a man who was paralized and used a wheelchair. Being an engineer, he decided to put his skills to use and created a device that can essentially help those who cant use their legs, begin to walk. The device simply holds their non-responsive legs in braces and moves each leg forward powered by a computer worn on the back in a backpack. The user utilizes forearm crutches for balance and pushes commands on a wristpad. I was amazed and excited at this new breakthrough!
The article also discussed stem cell research and how scientists are trying to find ways to bypass damaged spinal cord areas and tap healthy parts of the cord into each other.
I know, I just made both of these methods sound really simple.
The article got me to thinking about how fortunate I am to be able to walk, run, go up stairs, up curbs and into restaurants and stores without thinking twice.
It also got me to thinking that I cannot remember the last time I saw someone in a wheelchair out and about other than the theatre. Usually they arrive and have to kick someone out of the handcapped seating area.
We take our health for granted. Period. The only time we consider living healthier is when we are faced with something that might begin to inconvenience our lives.
The truth is, we dont have to worry about inflictions like we used to. "Back in the day", newborns were not taken out in public for fear of what they might catch. With vaccinations and treatments now available, we dont have to think about a cold or flu being life threatening. Then we were shocked that average, otherwise healthy people were dying from H1N1 2009. In case you didnt know, that was a pandemic we had. It ranked up there with smallpox, tuberculosis and HIV.
I think I am going to pay a little more attention to my health....