An Unhurried Cup of Coffee

I asked a man from Germany what he missed most while living in the United States. He replied, “I miss sitting unhurried at a café and drinking coffee with friends. Now I get my coffee at a convenience store rushing to my next appointment.” He knew...

Responding in the Present

A friend once said that many times she thinks so far ahead and worries so much about what might happen in the future that she misses the joys and opportunities presented to her in the "here and now." I too fall prey to this same thinking pattern. ...

Hearing Impaired

A blind physician colleague once said to me, "I would rather be blind than deaf." I was taken aback . . . could that be? He explained further by saying that even though he is blind, he can hear all the activity around him. He helped me understand those who...

The End is Coming

Does it feel like the end of the world is coming?  What am I to do?  Horde my money?  Vote for someone who I think will solve my problems?  The apostle Peter, near the end of his life, suggested that my “to-do” list at times like this...

See One, Do One, Teach One

In medical school, books and lectures were only the beginning. Learning to practice medicine was never left to didactics alone. The dictum “See one, do one, teach one” was the method used to take me from theory to practice. I benefited from the example of...

First Responders

In emergency medicine those who are first on the scene for heart attacks, strokes, and other life threatening problems are called first responders. They need to be called, however, before they can respond.  If no one calls 911 – no help will come. When...