On May 24
th Gord Downie and his doctor from
Sunnybrook Hospital in
Toronto confirmed that he was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Their
report stated that Downie had been dealing with the very serious disease
privately since December 2015. Later that week, the Tragically Hip, a band that
Downie has been performing with for over 20 years, announced that they plan to
have a tour this summer.
Long-time fans were obviously heart-broken to hear about Downie’s diagnosis,
making purchasing tickets for their summer tour a more difficult endeavor.
Presale tickets have sold out in less than two minutes. In fact, presale had
sold so quickly that The Tragically Hip added four more tour dates to
accommodate to the predicted madness that will happen as I write this article-
the public sale of their tickets.
Fans are obviously upset over what has happened over the sale of The Tragically
Hip’s 2016 summer tour. Other ticket outlets have been purchasing large
quantities of the tickets available during the presale, only to resell the
tickets at more than 5 times the cost of the original price of tickets. Ticket
scalpers are obviously taking gross advance of a sensitive situation that
should be treated with the utmost respect. To make matters worse, a portion of
the original ticket sales is being donated to Sunnybrook Hospital.
Who is
profiting from the resell of tickets at nearly 5 times more their original
value?
There have been on going news stories regarding the foul play made by the
ticket scalpers. Fans have flooded social media to express their anger at
ticket scalpers. Some have gone so far to make online petitions to protest the
resale of tickets at such a high price. Tickets are going for over $8,000 USD-
making purchasing a ticket from a scalper nearly impossible for the average
Canadian. Scalpers are trying to profit off of someone’s illness, and are using
bots to take away tickets from the average hard working fan. It is wrong- so outrageously
wrong.
But are we missing the point?
Reports on the resell of tickets by scalpers flooded social media and news
outlets almost immediately after Downie shared his diagnosis. While it is iniquitous
that ticket scalpers are profiting more than the band, and the hospital they
were donating money to, this fiasco has overshadowed everything else.
For anyone who is familiar with my blog, I was given about 5 to 10 years to
live about two and half years ago, after being diagnosed with Pulmonary
Hypertension. I think that Downie’s diagnosis might have struck a different
chord with me, and perhaps other people in my situation.
Two years ago I was given a life expectancy, and was severely disabled requiring supplementary oxygen 24 hours a day at the age of 25.
Although I am still living with a very serious life-threatening illness, I am
doing better than I was two years ago. However, I found that I became afraid of
living for fear of making my condition worse. Going to concerts and shows was
one of my most cherished past times in life, but I stopped going to them after my diagnosis
out of fear.
I worry how the bass will affect my heart (something I have always had an issue
with.)
I worry that I will need to wear my oxygen as the night goes on and I get
tired.
I worry that I might have to wear a medical mask to protect me from germs.
I worry that people will stare at me because of my medical equipment.
I worry that strangers will ask, “what is wrong with me?” Which is always funny
to answer, because I don’t feel like anything is “wrong” with me. I just happen
to be sick.
Living with a terminal or life-threatening illness has sometimes made me feel
like I am staring down a barrel of a gun. When I heard about Downie’s
diagnosis, and how he planned to go on one of his best tours yet, it really encouraged
me. Hearing the way he faced his diagnosis made me want to change the way I was facing mine. This man was also staring down a barrel of a "diagnosis gun" and he’s going
to do what he loves to do anyways. Why wasn’t I doing the same? I realized I
couldn’t keep letting life pass me by out of fear. Maybe it is time to test the
waters a bit. Maybe I cant’t know what I can or can’t do without trying. I was
lucky enough to score presale Hip tickets (please don’t hate me!) I also plan
to go to a smaller local show next week just to test out the waters. The idea
of going to a venue that houses nearly 20,000 with lots of stairs really freaks
the heck of me, but I am hoping I will have a great time with no ill
consequences to my health.
If only for a moment, can we shift our focus from how what the ticket scalpers
are doing should be illegal, to how great The Tragically Hip and Gord Downie
are?
 |
| Jack Chamber’s painting 401
Towards London No. 1 |
The Hip to me, are classic Canadiana, comparable to Jack Chamber’s painting
401
Towards London No. 1. When I listen to their music I can picture the Canadian
landscape that surrounds me. This is mostly because of their phenomenal story
telling. Some of The Hips most loved songs tell the stories of news events that
took place in Canadian towns.
Fifty Mission Cap tributes former Toronto Maple
Leafs player Bill Barilko, and his mysterious disappearance due to a plane
crash, and the eeriness surrounding the retrieval of his crashed plane.
38
Years Old recounts the fictional account of some 14 inmates that escaped from a
prison in The Hip’s hometown of Kingston. Their lyrics and songs remain a vivid
backdrop for Canada and its stories, both big and small. Real and fictional.
I want to thank The Tragically Hip and Gord Downie for lending their music to
become apart of the soundtrack to so many people’s lives. I remember how
excited a bar full of college students got when someone sang
New Orleans Is
Sinking at a Karaoke bar, in Waterloo, Ontario, just a few years before my
diagnosis. I remember watching the music videos for
Bobcaygeon and
Ahead by a Century back when Much
Music still played music videos, on early Saturday mornings before my parents
were awake. Whenever
Fireworks comes on the car radio my boyfriend, Spencer,
sings along and squeezes my leg extra hard at “you said you didn’t give a
fuck about hockey…” This will always be one of my favorite memories.
While I think that we can all agree that what has happened with the ticket
scalpers in this situation is very disappointing and in bad taste, please don’t
let it outshine what is really important. Gord Downie shared a very personal
diagnosis with the public, something that I know is very difficult to do. I am
sure that he and his family are facing something that is very hard to imagine
unless you have experienced it.
By letting the ticket scalpers cause so much
anger, we are letting them place value on the wrong things. There is so much
media attention surrounding this. Wouldn’t it be more beneficial to raise funds
and awareness for brain tumors? Or discuss about the accessibility of drugs and
treatment of diseases in Canada?
The way Gord Downie is facing his diagnosis has shown me how I want to face
mine. It is also a good reminder for what is truly important in life, because I
know that sometimes we all forget.
Instead of focusing all of our attention on the
negative, lets celebrate what was, what is and what will be.
Thank you so much, and I look forward to seeing you in August.
