Announcing My New Website
First, it was this lingering and then growing feeling that the old website just, well, got old. We lived together for five years, and it served me faithfully, just like my first car. But then I moved on with my writing and the time came for an upgrade. I decided to trade it in for […]
The Spectacle of the Nobel Prize in Literature
I shouldn’t complain about the Nobel Prize in literature. Polish writers received this prestigious award five times, and, by the numbers, we are in the top of so distinguished countries. Not bad. But when you think about the idea of rewarding a person for being the best writer in the world, and about the convoluted process how the […]
Growing up under the Communism in Poland
In 1953, March 6th happened on Friday. When I came to the class in the morning, I saw my third-grade teacher sitting at her desk, head buried in her hands, crying. We sensed a personal tragedy, and not knowing how to react, quietly took our seats. She then looked at us with the teary eyes. […]
Cardiac Pacemakers
My uncle died in Poland during the implant of his permanent pacemaker. At that time, I was a medical student, and I thought I should be able to understand why did it happen. I couldn’t, and I still don’t. A few years later, I came to this country and started doing the implants myself. It’s […]
Why?
Czesława Kwoka was 14 years old. On the arrival, they tattooed number 26947 on her left forearm. Then they took her picture. Not before the guard beat her up with a club. The Germans had sent the girl and her mother to Auschwitz to be exterminated. Both came from the area of Poland designed by […]
How Many of the Earthly Possessions Do We Need
While they were getting older, I realized my parents’ future looked grim in Poland. The communism maintained its tight grip on the economy and politics. The unrest past the brewing point and spilled on the streets. Everyday survival got to be a challenge. Moreover, their medical care was compromised. They didn’t complain, but I knew […]
Mongrel dogs have the best of their progenitors
Mongrel. What’s an awful name for a dog. A dog not belonging to any recognizable tribe of dogs. A product of an accident. Incidental dog. Oops-dog. Dog-pariah. My dog-loving nature shakes with horror. I go to a local bakery often and frequently ask for a bagel. The one I like the most is “everything bagel.” […]
The life with Bentley, my writing companion
For many people, and I certainly know for me, dogs are a big, irreplaceable part of their lives. I didn’t grow up with dogs, but now I can’t imagine my life without my furry friend. But with their short life-span, dogs rarely outlive their owners. So, more often than not, the people grieve these precious members […]
Forty-five years of cardiac surgery
In my gym, I meet the best people, and have the most interesting conversations, in the jacuzzi. It’s located in a corner of the large pool area and surrounded by a huge bay window extension. The sun is abundant, the water seems tropical, and, if I would drink, I would only ask for little drinks […]
