The Heart That United The World
‘Though most of us were unaware at the time, the heart that united the world is a big, generous, kind, loyal, loving heart and it belongs to a young man named Damar Hamlin. Then it stopped beating and millions of people around the world held their breath.
One week ago today, following a punishing but not overtly violent tackle, Buffalo Bills’ football player Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest, very likely after suffering a commotio cordis. Human life is fragile - even on our best days - and can be severely impaired or even ended without warning. Such was the case last Monday night.
Throughout the ten minutes Damar Hamlin lay prone on the field undergoing AED assisted CPR, and in the moments, hours and days afterwards, nothing, anywhere, was more important than the sanctity of life.
The NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry and is, to the networks that televise the games, the goose that laid the golden eggs. Watching the disaster on the field unfold, I was sure the almighty dollar would influence the decision-makers and that the game would continue. Indeed, initially, the league gave the teams five minutes to warm up before the game would resume.
But then, a visually powerful gesture occurred: Sean McDermott and Zac Taylor met mid-field, a short conversation occurred and then, in perfect accord, both teams, and both coaching and training staffs all walked off the field into their respective locker rooms signalling, very clearly, that neither side had any intention of playing football that night.
Their concord was hugely impactful, demonstrating a conscious awareness that their players’ mental health was at stake. The wellbeing of their players was prioritised over the outcome of that game and the end-of-season playoff “seeding” it would surely determine.
Monday night, shortly after nine-thirty, there was real society in Paycor Stadium because there was only sanctity.
Eventually, despite the “five minute warning”, the NFL released a statement that they had not even considered resuming the game.
“Society is society only if there is sanctity
The highest sanctity is abolition of differentiation.”*
[Abhijit Naskar]
‘Though the outpouring of love, prayers and well-wishes for Damar’s complete recovery began with the NFL community, very soon - more rapidly than I’ve ever witnessed - people from all corners of the globe joined in the chorus of tweets and social media messaging. At first it was athletes from other sports, followed in short order by actors, world leaders, teachers, professors, artists, two dance companies, an orchestra, fans and — the most stirring to me — folks who had no interest in, nor knowledge of football, athletes or sports. Abolition of differentiation.
We’re bombarded in the press and on social media sites with commentary about anything and everything that divides us, of polarisation, and of how wide the gap is growing between the left and right, but…. During this prime-time emergency, and in the moments and hours that followed, everyone who watched or read about Damar Hamlin’s collapse experienced a common despair, that resulted in a global outpouring of apprehension, compassion, hope and prayers. A unity forged through empathy. Abolition of differentiation.
The agglomeration of social media posts was essentially an on-line vigil for a young man, unknown to all but a very few, who was fighting for his life. It’s truly not an exaggeration to say that the world came together for Damar Hamlin. Political stripes, social issues, economics and geography melted away, reminding us of the most important truth of life – loving one another. Pretty miraculous; it would be a miracle if we were able to maintain that affinity. Abolition of differentiation
This emotional week yielded three blessings - first, a young man appears to have recovered from his catastrophic injury; second, regardless of financial pressure, and how it affected their seasons, two teams made player health and welfare their first priority; and third, our poor, fractured society united in less time than it takes to make a bed. I don’t know if any of those things are truly miracles. That Damar woke up with no neurological deficits is undoubtedly a miracle to his mum. What I do know is that, stunned into contemplation, people the world-over paused to reclaim the sanctity and significance of human life above all else. And that, I believe is a miracle. Abolition of differentiation
Key takeaways:
- Gratitude and praise for the competence and care of the stadium’s medical personnel, the first responders and the doctors and nurses at University of Cincinnati Medical Center who, together, saved young Damar’s life; and
- Make sure that your place of sport or workout has a defibrillator; and
- Make sure that your kiddos’ schools have defibrillators at sporting events; and
- Learn CPR; and
- Enrol your kiddos in a CPR class; and
- If your finances permit, please donate (link): Heart & Stroke Canada
’Til next time, y’all…
*Abhijit Naskar, from his book, Handcrafted Humanity: 100 Sonnets For A Blunderful World (pg. 81). Abhijit Naskar very kindly and generously gave me permission to use his “Sonnet 49”. He is an advocate, poet, author and Neuroscientist. Below is the full text of “Sonnet 49” - I know you’ll enjoy it!
“Sonnet 49
All our life we live as imitation,
All our life we live as slaves to the past.
When will we live as original humans,
When will we walk as beings beyond class!
All sectarianism is a violation of human rights,
As such all divisions are uncivilization.
Society is society only if there is sanctity,
The highest sanctity is abolition of differentiation.
There is no high society or low society,
The divide is created by empty savages in suits.
When their inside is moronically hollow,
They seek comfort in the poison of sectarian fruits.
I say, enough with this gold-plated lifelessness!
Let us now live for real, rejecting all shallowness.”
Abhijit Naskar