I have thought a lot about hope and forgiveness over the last few years. They are topics that are right up my alley, in that they are seen as important and central in the cancer experience, but they are difficult to quantify, to capture, or to describe in simple direct terms. Hope and forgiveness mean different things to different people, and Continue Reading
Half Baked no. 2 — Let People Surprise You
Half Baked is a phrase I use to describe an idea, or sometimes a constellation of ideas that may hang out together but don’t fully form a cohesive concept or, in this case, blog post. It will appear every now and again, when I’ve got something to share that doesn’t quite fit anywhere else.
When I was a kid, I loved taking things apart. Anything that I could find that had been discarded or that was no longer working would end up in pieces on the floor of my small bedroom. I would look at all the parts, interconnected, and try to understand how the object had worked. Toasters and toys (who knew Continue Reading
Excuse Me, While I Take a Moment to Dream
My first ambition in life, circa 1978 was to be a cowboy. This was followed in quick succession by the desire to be a boxer, a chemist, an astronomer, and an artist. In between there were brief moments of being Yosemite Sam…and Fonzi. A lifelong fan of movies from old Hollywood, the stories I watched were interested in the human experience and emotions. Their attention to geographical or historical detail was loose. Old movies, and even television when I was growing up, were not quite as obsessed as we are today with what is real and fact checkable.
I think that when Hollywood was in its golden age, reality was quite Continue Reading
Muppet Love
I want to introduce you to two friends of mine– Joe and Muppet. They shared the most profound of moments with me this weekend, and in so doing, have me thinking about the magnitude, potential, and pain that comes when we let ourselves love deeply.
Joe is a lifelong friend of mine. We met in 8th or 9th grade, and despite us being very different, I loved him. He was part of my family and and we were good friends for a long time. At some point, as often Continue Reading
The Myth of Protection
There is this thing that happens, that one might have to experience to fully understand. Let me give you a scenario: I walk into the exam room of a patient who is accompanied by their loved person. A son, daughter, sister or husband.
We start a polite conversation, me inquiring regarding their well-being and current needs. Everything is portrayed as being fantastic. Great. “We’re optimistic!”. At some point the loved one’s phone rings and they excuse themselves. Immediately, upon the door closing, leaving us two alone, the Continue Reading