Okay, make sure you read the entire post on this one . . . Being gone from the office for a week creates a craziness coefficient of nightmare proportions that patiently awaits your return. This week hasn’t disappointed. Yesterday brought ridiculous numbers of ridiculous patients in the face of being short-staffed during Easter school break. I was running behind and Tara grabbed me with a VERY serious look on her face. One of my patients just got off the phone with…
In the OT, balm of Gilead had a great reputation for it’s medicinal properties. Balm of Gilead is an ointment made from resin extracted from plants that were plentiful in Gilead, the area east of the Jordan river. It was used to heal wounds, and treat other medical ailments.Ironically, the writings of Jeremiah demonstrate the impotence of the famed balm of Gilead to heal those that seemed in the most need (Jeremiah 8:22; Jeremiah 46:11). Why? Even the best medicines do not cure…
Captain Lawrence (Titus) Oates17 March 1880 – 16 March 1912Photographic Archive, Alexander Turnbull Library On January 18, 1912, Titus Oates* and his 4 companions reached the South Pole only to find a short note in an abandoned tent with a bamboo pole flying the Norwegian flag. Roald Amundsen’s team had beat them to the pole by 35 days. Born to a wealthy family in London, Lawrence Edward Grace (“Titus”) Oates enjoyed all the benefits of his family’s nobility and influence….
Vee geyts? The other night I attended a medical lecture given by an Israeli friend who now lives in LA. While we were chatting before the meeting, he asked me if I knew any Hebrew. I said “No, but I do know a few Yiddish words, like k’vetch.” His reply was “that’s a very good word to know.” It’s proof positive that my post’s are relevant . . . and valuable! I feel validated. It seems to be no small coincidence that…
kvetch – /k(ə)veCH/ (from Yiddish) Noun A person who complains a great deal Verb Complain Oy vey! My last post has me on a serious tangent thinking about the persona and stereotypical portrayal of the chronic kvetch. It’s a cool word given that it’s both a verb and a noun. Some have argued that it is also an art form (here for a funny video; here for the whole symposium). At the very least, it is learned behavior. The determinants that create a kvetch are complex and include societal, cultural…
Oy Vey! I recently read a great article by Guy Winch, PhD on how to deal with chronic complainers (here). It is a worthy read, given the prevalence of this challenging personality type in the work-a-day world. Though we all have days when we are pessimists, Dr. Winch reminds us that there’s a big difference between a pessimist and a chronic complainer: Optimists see: A glass half full. Pessimists see: A glass half empty. Chronic complainers see: A glass that is slightly chipped holding water that…