It’s been a year since I lost my father. I recall his last day with clarity. I arrived at the hospice early, shortly after my mother. Dad was lucid, in good spirits, happy to see me. We discussed the middle of the night solo foray to the bathroom that had left his oxygen tubing detached from him after catching on …
Learning Magic From A Wizard
He stood out to me before we became friends. His all white hair and a matching goatee contrasted well with his dark complexion – you could spot him easily in a crowded room. He was quick to laugh, knew everyone, and introduced himself to newcomers. He was the ultimate volunteer dad when our oldest was in elementary school, leading songs …
A Renewal of Empathy
Great literature creates a space for empathy for the human condition, working its magic in unexpected ways. Last night I found myself in a particular netherworld you might relate to: I’ve finished a great book, I don’t like the book assigned from my book club, I don’t have a show I particularly need to watch, and I want something nourishing …
Something That’s Yours Alone
I recently struggled through an awkward encounter with someone dear to me. I had mentioned in passing that I was selected to participate in an out of town conference related tangentially to this blog – a chance to rejoin the community of physician finance geeks and to see old “invisible friends” that I continue to sustain connectedness with. This person …
An Enduring Friendship
When I met C, we were in the 4th grade. Although I’d started at the school a few years earlier, he fit right into my circle of nerds, occupying the key role of dungeonmaster during games of Dungeons and Dragons at lunch. We were both brought by bus to a public magnet school located in a wealthy part of LA …
Craft
My wife and I recently resolved to spend a half day on a date to avail ourselves of some of the cultural attractions of big city living. We settled on the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA, a strikingly clad building housing hundreds of rare vehicles. My son accompanied a good friend and his family to this museum a few months …
Gone
The kids were away for the long weekend, involved in their own activities, so we decided to visit my mom. One of the things she has taken on at this stage of her grief in losing my dad is trying to gift his old items to friends and family who will give the items a new home. This sounds thoughtful …
Forty Year Reunion
One of the best parts of elementary school was enjoying a crush on my teacher. In fifth and sixth grade, I was fortunate to be assigned to the same dynamo of a woman. Ms. S was vivacious, creative, engaging, and funny – it was puppy love. She had us teach one another contemporary songs to get comfortable with public speaking. …
Drifting And Staying Afloat
I rise earlier than everyone in the family, and I cherish that quiet time for a bike ride through coastal fog, a cup of coffee in solitude and time to immerse myself in the latest New Yorker (on days when I am off). It may epitomize a formerly dormant antisocial quality. I’ve always valued my quiet time, my ideal day …
Any Pretext For Adventure
Yesterday a friend and I took a trip to an unlikely natural landscape that was hiding just miles from suits and skyscrapers: We went brown water rafting in the LA river. Yes, LA has a river. No, the water isn’t really brown, although it is plenty sketchy. A couple of decades as an emergency physician have disrupted my circadian rhythms …