No one plans to get sick or hurt - I certainly didn't - but most

"No one plans to get sick or hurt — I certainly didn’t — but most people will need medical care at some point in their lives." — Magic Johnson

Listen, O children of wisdom, to the words of Magic Johnson, a man who once soared upon the courts of glory, yet was humbled by the frailty of the flesh. His voice, filled with both strength and humility, reveals a truth that touches every human being — that life is unpredictable, and health is fragile. When he says, “No one plans to get sick or hurt,” he speaks not only of illness, but of the suddenness with which fate tests the strong and the weak alike. For no man, however mighty, can bargain with the unseen hand of mortality; and no woman, however wise, can foresee the hour when her body may betray her.

These words arise from the story of Magic’s own life — a tale known to the modern age as both tragedy and triumph. In the year 1991, at the height of his power and fame, he stood before the world and revealed that he had contracted HIV, a diagnosis that at that time was seen as a death sentence. The stadiums that once roared with his victories fell silent with shock. Yet in that moment of revelation, Magic did not surrender. He turned his struggle into a mission — to educate, to advocate, and to live as proof that hope and treatment can triumph over despair. Thus, his quote is not one of complaint, but of awakening. He reminds us that illness spares none — and that we must all prepare not with fear, but with wisdom and compassion.

For in truth, no one plans to be struck by disease or misfortune. We live as if our bodies are invincible, as if tomorrow is promised. But the wise of all ages have known that health is a gift, not a guarantee. The ancients built temples to Asclepius, the god of healing, not because they controlled fate, but because they sought grace when fate struck. The farmer may plan his harvest, the sailor may chart his course, but sickness comes as the storm — unbidden, unseen, and unstoppable. What matters, says Magic Johnson, is not that illness may come, but how we prepare our hearts and our societies to meet it.

Consider, too, the story of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the American president who, in his youth, was paralyzed by polio. He had not planned to lose the use of his legs; yet out of that suffering came a deeper strength. From his wheelchair, he guided a nation through depression and war, proving that physical limitation need not break the spirit. Like Magic, Roosevelt’s life became a testament to endurance — a reminder that the measure of a person is not found in what befalls them, but in how they rise to meet it.

When Magic Johnson speaks of the need for medical care, his message carries another layer of meaning — one of responsibility and community. He reminds us that illness is not merely a private matter, but a shared human reality. Every person, at some point, will need the healing hand of another — a doctor, a nurse, a friend, or a stranger. To deny care to one is to endanger all, for the health of each is woven into the health of the whole. Thus, his words call upon society to build systems of compassion, where care is not a privilege for the few, but a right for the many.

But there is a deeper wisdom still: his statement humbles us before the truth of vulnerability. It reminds us that greatness, wealth, or power do not shield us from suffering. The athlete who once ruled the court, the ruler who commands nations, the worker who toils in the field — all share the same mortal thread. Illness, like death, unites us; and in that unity lies a hidden strength. For when we recognize our shared fragility, we learn empathy, and from empathy grows the will to heal not only the body, but the divisions of the human heart.

So, O listeners of the present age, take this teaching as both warning and inspiration. Do not take your health for granted, nor look upon the sick with judgment or fear. Prepare for life’s uncertainties with compassion and foresight. Care for your body as a sacred vessel, yet know that even the strongest may stumble. Support those who labor in medicine; respect those who suffer in silence; and build a world where help is given before it is begged for.

For as Magic Johnson teaches, no one plans for illness, yet all must face it. And when that day comes — whether through disease, accident, or age — may you find yourself surrounded not by despair, but by the love, skill, and mercy of others. Let his words remind you: strength lies not in being untouched by hardship, but in standing tall amid its storm. In the end, what heals the body is care, but what heals the soul is the knowledge that we are never alone in our need for healing.