The Bracelet: Livestrong, will YOU still wear it?

The famous bracelet, we've seen it worn by millions. Many of us have had one or several through the years, have supported the cause, have watched in amazement the man Lance Armstrong as he cycled his way into fame, beat Cancer and went on to greatness for so many as an inspiration of hope.

He has now left it all on tape and in his words to Oprah on a show, the "gig is up" so to speak.

He is not the man we thought he was, another hero and one who was admired gone down after standing so strongly against the allegations of "doping" has finally apologized to the millions before sitting with the legendary Oprah who then insisted on carrying that tape on her person back to her studio to be sure it was safe before airing it.

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But what of those bracelets and their message?

LIVESTRONG

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We need not talk of all the dollars that many dug deep to send to the organization; that bell has been rung along with his words of denial and false accusations.

He has now admitted that which he long denied

and that which we have all long heard about as happening in sports and arenas where humans have to continually go beyond what seems humanly possible to set records to exceed the possible of endurance and strength.

What of the message behind the rubber yellow bands that we see on so many wrists.

What of the HOPE they inspired for the millions?

Will folks continue to wear them?

Are they looking beyond the now new or long suspected of the man, and holding onto the message of "living strong" through the message of hope in healing?

It is hard to imagine isn't it?

Years of public denial, more money than we can imagine spent on court cases, people threatened, throw away phones to secretly know when the tests would be coming and to talk in code, 7 time tour de France winner, lays it all out for the world with the one and only Oprah as all sat and watched.

Is the world now stunned or just moving along saying "there goes another one" down the tubes of fame and glory.

But, this time... all the many millions of those with Cancer, those with hope in watching a survivor, those who supported by the wearing of that bracelet... what of them now?

Many who have supported Lance feel betrayed by him;  his foundation will suffer greatly and the apology not enough to stop that feeling after so many years. Many now will grieve the loss of him as a leader, a hero, a true warrior of gentle spirit.

Many will throw off the bracelets, cut them, trash them or burn them as they are associated with him.

BUT

for many many others, those bracelets represent MORE than Lance... they represent living strong, living long, and the "fight".

They have become more than the man, the cycle, the news of one person.  They have become personal and universal to fighting Cancer.

Still others will wear those bracelets with pride, they will find ways to dis-associate the bracelet with actions of the man and his admission of guilt now.

They will be able to look at the good in him in regards to his foundation and beating Cancer and many others will even look at him as one who beat those who cheat a system like doping for a very long time.

He cheated cheaters and won for awhile they will think.

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It seems the bracelets all but disappeared back in October from shelves where normally seen, back when this all began I believe, around the same time that i also noticed not as many people sporting those familiar yellow bands on wrists around here.

Wrist bands of shapes causes colors are seen so very often and that is one that is rather standard.

It may be that the association now is too strong to the admission of guilt from Lance; and yet many will find that bracelet represents more than the man, it represents more than cycling, than doping, than just a human.

It represents fighting the fight of Cancer.

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What do you think?

Will you still wear it... it's up to you.

It just may be that his cycling success allowed the world to increase their awareness of the need to research and find the cure to Cancer, and when you think about that...

A yellow band wristband certainly has let us think and remember

CANCER SUCKS

and we need a cure now.

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Walk in Beauty

DRSES