Memorial Day 2016 - We Remember

I am in coffee shops several times per week. I prefer independent establishments with atmosphere and authenticity. For that reason, it is rare to spot me in a retail coffee outlet whose HQ is in Seattle, Washington. This past week, as I was carrying my café mocha to my table, I spied some board games stacked up on a table. On top was the game pictured below.

This brought back warm memories of playing this game as a young kid. It recalled the wholesome and beautiful childhood that my parents gave me. Millennials might not appreciate the raw and fierce competition of games such as Candyland, Chinese checkers or Trouble, which has caused a huge void in their lives.

Looking back and remembering gives meaning to our lives. We remember a song, a joke, a celebration, a concert, a speech and relationships. Isn’t it amazing how hearing a song from years ago captures a mood?

This weekend, we remember and ponder something of infinite meaning and importance. We remember what so many Americans have done and still do so that folks like me can blog without fear, read a newspaper that criticizes our government or protest lawfully in the public square.

I have never served so I cannot begin to grasp what you have done. But, I have met many of you, and I am inspired by your heroism and your modesty.

Comments

When Should Doctors Retire?

I am asked with some regularity whether I am aiming to retire in the near term. Years ago, I never received such inquiries. Why now? Might it be because my coiffure and goatee – although finely-manicured – has long entered the gray area? Could it be because many other even younger physicians have given up their stethoscopes for lives of leisure? (Hopefully, my inquiring patients are not suspecting me of professional performance lapses!) Interestingly, a nurse in my office recently approached me and asked me sotto voce that she heard I was retiring. “Interesting,” I remarked. Since I was unaware of this retirement news, I asked her when would be my last day at work. I have no idea where this erroneous rumor originated from. I requested that my nurse-friend contact her flawed intel source and set him or her straight. Retirement might seem tempting to me as I have so many other interests. Indeed, reading and ...

Stop Medical Malpractice: The White Coat Wall of Silence

Photo Credit Leisure Guy, one of my most faithful commenters, opines that I am omitting an important aspect of the tort reform argument. He has implored me repeatedly to read a particular book that I suspect buttresses his views, but this worthy pursuit is simply not near the top of my priority pyramid. Since he’s retired, he enjoys the luxury of burrowing deeply into the base of his priority pyramid. With 4 tuitions to go, retirement is a distant mirage for me. I’m can be a ‘leisure guy’, but only in my dreams. I have written throughout this blog and elsewhere that there are too many frivolous lawsuits against physicians. I have admitted that caps on non-economic damages are not ideal, because they deny some worthy plaintiffs of complete compensation, but I support them because I believe they serve the greater good. I have ranted that there is no effective filter to screen out physicians who should never be invited to the litigation party in the first place. I believe that the...

Will Smarter Lawyers End Frivolous Lawsuits?

How do you know if a lawyer is any good? Of course, they've all passed the bar, but now their profession is lowering it. While most of us strive for excellence, and raise our children to value this virtue, prominent legal educators are establishing a new quality intitiative for their profession. Who says that lawyers can't reform themselves? Perhaps, we physicians can follow their bold example and raise the credentials of our pre-medical students. I’ll present the facts. You be the judge. I have written a dozen posts on tort reform on this blog, which always generate spirited and adversarial retorts from attorneys and their supporters. They accuse me and other tort reform advocates of carrying water for insurance companies. They repeatedly point out that I know nothing about the legal system and are unqualified to opine on its flaws. They deride me when I argue that effective tort reform would reduce the practice of defensive medicine, despite the re...

MD Whistleblower

Search This Blog