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 […]
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 […]
Drama on the Dancing Floor
The life story of Dr. Jack Murano goes on. Fathers and Sons After years of estrangement, his daughter asked Jack to walk her down the aisle during her wedding with Nick. He sees it as an honor and a great chance for reconciliation with Kate. She sees it as an opportunity for her father, whose drinking […]
Bentley, My Devoted Writing Companion
If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went. Will Rogers Bentley was our Christmas gift to Bonnie. The eight-weeks-old came with a red ribbon and a bow. Instead of a Jaguar. The kids and I did many secret talks, and we got this little furry […]
Transition to the Third Trimester of Life
Just imagine… Imagine yourself walking in an upscale suburban neighborhood. It’s late evening. Through the bay window, you can see a well lit but otherwise darkly furnished room. It looks like an old-fashioned library. There is a late middle age man sitting in a partially unfolded recliner with his elbows on the armrests, hands steepled […]
The Best Father’s Day Present Ever.
During my years in California, while in a private practice of cardiovascular surgery, I was elected the president of the local chapter of the American Heart Association. During one of the meetings, a late middle-aged woman came to me and said, “I know you!” I said, “You do!” thinking of her telling me how good […]
Panegyric on my daughter and life in New York
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 foggy and we couldn’t land. […]
Best Dish in the Polish Kitchen
After WWII, countries in Europe were deluged with art inspired by the monstrosities of the conflict. Despite a relatively small population, Poland was presented with one of the highest casualty lists, the highest as a percentage of the total population of the nations. No wonder that the resulting impression on Polish art, particularly filmmaking, was […]
How to Measure Success in the Life of a Surgeon
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. Albert Schweitzer But how to get there? It was the second half of the 19th century. In Albany, New York, a middle age woman developed sharp, protracted abdominal pains. Local physicians […]
