Journeys With Jani

So here’s the thing—I had never seen Dallas Buyers Club. I don’t know why, really. Maybe I was busy being a momma, maybe it slipped through the cracks of my usual true-crime and travel doc binges. But tonight, I finally watched it.

Whew.

Y’all… Ron Woodroof was not your stereotypical hero. He was rough around the edges, offensive in more ways than one, and lived a life that didn’t exactly scream “noble.” But he was a damn hero all the same. He fought like hell—not just for himself, but for anyone who needed help in a world that was too busy cashing checks to give a damn.

And watching it now, in 2025, hit different. Because we’re still here. Still watching Big Pharma rake in billions while patients drown in red tape and trial periods. The FDA? Don’t even get me started. I mean, how is it that we can throw millions into resurrecting the freakin’ dire wolf—yes, the big prehistoric dog thing—but somehow we still can’t figure out how to cure cancer? Or Multiple Sclerosis? Or ALS? Or any number of diseases that rip families apart every single day?

But sure. Let’s bring back ancient wildlife. Maybe throw a Game of Thrones quote in there for dramatic effect: Winter is coming.

Meanwhile, the people who need real help—actual solutions—are still fighting the same battles Ron Woodroof was fighting in the ’80s. Only now the drug names are fancier, and the commercials have better lighting. But the truth? Still ugly.

I don’t know, y’all. I’m not saying we should stop funding science. I’m not even saying dire wolves aren’t cool in a museum kind of way. But maybe, just maybe, we could reallocate some of that Jurassic Park money toward saving the people who are here right now.

Because what Ron did back then? It shouldn’t still be the exception in a world that claims to be advanced. It should’ve sparked a revolution. Instead, it’s 2025, and we’re still trying to survive systems built for profit instead of people.

But hey. Dire Wolves, right?

XOXO, Jani