Blogs
Is There anything Worse Than an Untimely Cellphone Ring?
We have a little gem in our neighborhood. It is a bookstore. Situated in a cottage-like house, on the old, traditional farm. Surrounded by the old trees, next to the farm with belted cows. Books are displayed on elegant shelves or on the tables. Not in stalls like in B&N
Polish Had the First European Modern Constitution in 1791
Those who don’t know the history are destined to repeat it. Edmund Burke History doesn’t repeat itself, but does rhyme. Mark Twain Nescire autem quid antequam natus sis acciderit, id est semper esse puerum. To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child.
Non-monetary Value of a Cup of Coffee
It was 6:45 in the morning, and I was standing in line to pay for my cup of coffee in Duke’s cafeteria. The Weekly vascular conference was just about to begin. In front of me there was a young man, may be 30 years old. He was dressed in a
Motherhood Is The Most Important Job on Earth
If evolution really works, how come mothers have only two hands? Milton Berle In motherhood, pay is lousy, if you are talking of monetary things. But payoff is priceless in so many other things. Roxane Henke God could not be everywhere, so He created mothers Jewish proverb I was recently
Look Back on My Surgical Career
Does it ever happen to you, that after a conversation or event is over, an untimely thought comes to mind? Something you should say or do, and you didn’t think of it at a proper time? Then suddenly you do, and now obviously it’s too late. Or somebody said a
Addictions and How Do They Influence Our Lives
“Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic, or alcohol or morphine or idealism C.G. Yung Pete Rose, the greatest ever baseball hitter, was banned from entering the Hall of Fame because of gambling addiction. There are asterisks next to Barry Bonds’ all time home runs record
What’s Better: Being Smart, Intelligent or Wise?
It’s not that I am so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer. Albert Einstein Be as smart as you can, but remember that it is always better to be wise than to be smart. Alan Alda A smart man only believes half of which he hears, a
Living in New York or a Panegyric on My Daughter
If you can make it there… Fred Ebb Heralded as the capital of the world. The biggest port of entry for immigrants to the United States. I know, forty years ago, I flew to New York on a big Pan Am 747 sitting next to a catholic nun. It was
Let’s Make Showing Respect a Part of Culture Again
I was traveling recently. Hertz’s bus from car rental drop off to the terminal was crowded. I threw the luggage on the rack and stood by. Then I heard, “Would you like to take my seat?”. I looked back. There was a man in his late 30s, may be early
The Fine Art of Improving History
The much despised political leaders of North Korea are in the news again. No.2 Jang Song Thaek was recently stripped of power by No.1 Kim Jong-un. Jang was Kim’s uncle and widely regarded as the younger leader’s mentor. The political move was dramatic and happened in a full view of
Life Is About the Stories.
Moving to new, different communities involves meeting new friends. A few months ago we met our neighbor from across the street, we will call him Ernie. He used to be a car shop owner. Is also retired, just much more than me. We visit occasionally and tell stories over a
When Do We Start Getting Old
You don’t stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing. George Bernard Shaw While in Poland, I had a close friend, Andrzej. His father was a barber and used to cut my hair. When I was in the first grade, my friend was in fourth.
…And Why Their Parents Don’t
In my previous post, I described scenarios in which young people are leaving the countries of their birth. Now is the time to contrast the older generation. During my stay in the United States, I was carefully watching the life of my parents in Poland. We sent letters as often
Why Young People are Leaving the Country of Their Parents
Italy: The Nation That crushes Its Young. (NYT, Oct 30, 2013) Italy Breaks Your Heart. (NYT, Oct 26, 2013) These two recent articles published in the New York Times captured my attention. They both comment on the exodus of Italian young people, particularly males, and their travel to France, England
Three Heroes Who Overthrew the Communism in Europe
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! Ronald Reagan (1987) This is how most people in this country see the fall of communism in Europe and the person who made it happened. Let me tell you another side of this story. In 1945, after victory over Hitler’s Germany and with the
A Path to Become a Surgeon, cont.
It is sometimes asserted, that a surgical operation is or should be a work of art… fit to rank with those of the painter or a sculptor. .That proposition does not admit to discussion. It is a product of the intellectual innocence which I think we surgeons may fairly claim
A Path to Become a Surgeon
It is necessary that a surgeon should have a temperate and moderate disposition. That he should have well-formed hands, long slender fingers, a strong body, not inclined to tremble and with all his members trained to the capable fulfillment of the wishes of his mind. He should be of deep
The Age of Highest Achievements
It is fair to say, that coming to my age, most of the people look back and contemplate what was the highest achievement of their life, what was they being most proud of. Was it a professional career? Family live? Athletic accomplishments? Maybe a significant discovery? Or social connections? And
So, Is Surgery an Art or a Science?
The practice of medicine is a thinker’s art, the practice of surgery is a plumber’s. Martin H. Fischer, obviously a medical doctor This was a picture I grew up with in my Medical School. I saw medical specialists as a group of intellectuals discussing patient’s problems in the doctor’s lounge,
Polish mathematicians on the forefront of fight with Germany
The universe is made up from stories, not atoms. Muriel Rukeyser Europe in the 1930s saw general tensions growing as a result of WW I and German unhappiness with the Treaty of Versailles. The Germans were arming themselves and obviously getting ready to change the balance of power. Secrecy of
Abraham Lincoln and Tsar Alexander ; Twin Brothers of Different Mothers
All the forces in the world are not so powerful as an idea whose time has come Victor Hugo While reading “Anna Karenina” I came across a very interesting subject being discussed: the problem of serfdom. Konstantin Levin, 32 years old landowner, wants to increase productivity on his farmland. Sees
Divide and Conquer, Still the Way to Govern
When I came to this country in 1975 United States of America was …one Nation, under God, indivisible… Now we have democrats vs republicans, women vs men, immigrants vs the rest of the country, unions, Congress vs Senate vs The President, Tea Party, Occupy movement, older generation vs younger generation,
Why the Nobel Prize in literature should not be awarded
The Nobel Prizes in literature have been awarded to Polish writers many times. 1905 Henryk Sienkiewicz 1924 Władysław Stanisław Reymont 1978 Isaac Bashevis Singer (born in Poland, wrote of Polish – Jewish cultural tradition, in Yiddish) 1980 Czesław Miłosz 1996 Wisława Szymborska. Therefore I should be,
Reading of Anna Karenina and my thoughts thereafter
Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Lev Tolstoy, beginning of Anna Karenina One of my biggest passions is reading. Ever since quitting medical practice, my schedule is more flexible, and I can allocate more time to it. I love to hold a
The joy of having identical twins
When I was working in California in private practice of cardiovascular surgery, I was elected the president of the local chapter of the American Heart Association. On one of the meetings, a late middle-aged woman came to me and said, “I know you!”. I said, “You do” thinking of her
How do we learn, and are the teachers important?
A few weeks ago, one of my daughters helped me to solve a problem I had with my blog. I wasn’t surprised, just nicely pleased. I texted it to her and asked; ‘Is it your genes or Cornell?”. She answered: “Both, Dad, both”. There is ongoing discussion, what is more
Are your clothes important?
“Do clothes make the doctor?” is a recent article in a local paper. Author Elisabeth Dreesen works as a surgeon at UNC Chapel Hill. She writes about the appropriateness or not of the way of dressing up by residents in her department. She concludes: “We live in a world of
About Chrysanthemums, and the Importance of Symbols
Yesterday, Bonnie brought home two bunches of flowers. One was her favorite sunflowers. The other flowers were still in green buds, not opened yet. I asked what they were, she said “chrysanthemums”. I said “what?” , she repeated, “Chrysanthemums, why do you ask?”. So I told her about our tradition.
How to Love Your Country
I love Italy! I am fascinated by its roots, history, culture and customs. The landscape is unique and the people very friendly. I took Latin at school and recently learned Italian. Each time I travel there, the experience is unforgettable. Most people don’t know how strong ties between Poland
How to Be Appreciated, and not Flattered
“The difference between appreciation and flattery? That is simple. One comes from the heart out, the other from the teeth out. One is unselfish; the other selfish. One is universally admired; the other universally condemned”. Dale Carnegie When I was Chief of Staff in my hospital, we had an unusual
How to Help Children to Cherish Our Heritage
Recently, I am reading a lot about people getting interested in their roots. Usual avenues to trace them are through Ellis Island records, Mormon Church archives and popular websites such as ancestry.com, genealogy.archives.org and so on. It is becoming quite a popular pastime, and I see many retired persons
How to Raise Your Children, so They’ll Love You Back
Give me a child until he is seven, and I will give you a man. Francis Xavier, co-founder of the Jesuit order There is a story told me by my Father. It was very popular in Poland, when we were run by communist Russia after WWll. To help women with
“The Paradox of Choice” on TED is an Example of How to Control Your Mind.
A few days ago, Chris sent me a link to Barry Schwartz’s lecture on TED…”Take a look, very provocative” he said. And it was. The speaker was talking about the negative effects of too many choices on human life. Too many choices increase paralysis and decrease satisfaction. Having too many
How Dogs Can Make Our lives Rich. Mystery of concussions.
It was one of our long evening walks. We walked past our hotel, where we stayed during our trip from West to East coast. Suddenly, I heard hammering. It hurt my ears. We walked in that direction and the knocking became louder. I looked up and in a light of
How Dogs Can Make Our Lives Rich, Part ll
If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. Will Rogers Bentley was a Christmas gift for Bonnie. He came with a red ribbon and a bow, instead of a Jaguar. Kids and I did a lot of secret talks and
How Dogs Can Make Our Lives Rich, Part I
Wer reited so spat durch Nacht und Wind? … Who rides there so late through the night dark and drear? … Johann Wolfgang von Goethe We are walking with our golden retriever Bentley twice a day. Our house is within impressive and beautiful North Carolina woods, we call it an
How to best train resident doctors
On March 4th 1984, they admitted college freshman Libby Zion to the New York hospital with high fever and agitation. Despite efforts of medical intern, medical resident and attending physician, she died the next day. Her father, a prominent NY lawyer and journalist Sidney Zion, was obviously devastated. The death raised
What do We Have in Common with Wayne Gretzky
They completed “The Trade” 25 years ago. The Edmonton Oilers moved Wayne Gretzky to Los Angeles Kings at the height of his hockey career. Canadian national hero was playing in Canada no more. He found out of this decision a few hours after winning Stanley Cup in 1988 from his father,
How Much is Enough
A few years ago, at the heyday of our professional efficiency and high reimbursement for open heart surgery, I had a conversation with one of my fellow cardiac surgeons. We talked about how much we enjoyed this specialty and all the perks coming with it. At the certain point we
What Do We Do for Living; How Money Flows in the Society
Some men wrest a living from nature with their hands; this is called work. Some men wrest a living from those who wrest a living from nature with their hands: this is called trade. Some men wrest a living from those who wrest a living from those who wrest a
Education Starts at Home, School is Just Addition
Live like you will die tomorrow, learn like you will live forever. Mahatma Ghandi My Father was a well-respected corporate lawyer in Poland. My Mother finished her elementary education in a two-room school in a deep country. Then she moved to Warsaw and soon enrolled in high school there. Starting
What to Do in The Retirement, Starting To Write
This is my first post and I was looking for the best way to introduce myself. I thought that a good way was to be interviewed by somebody who knows me well. Since no one volunteered, I decided to interview myself. Here we go (WSN are my initials). Me: Why
