The Doctor by Luke Fildes “Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.” – C.S. Lewis It seems almost surreal. Only a few short days ago in Belgium, a teenager afflicted with a terminal illness was actively killed under the watchful eyes of the medical establishment. The chilling story of an act unprecedented in the modern age received widespread coverage. Surely, one might think, there would be repercussions... Read more
It was a four day vacation at summer’s end. My wife, my two daughters and I headed to the Lake Superior sprayed coast of Duluth, Minnesota. It was a much needed escape from a summer of busy clinic schedules, nightly soccer games, Lego/basketball/volleyball camps and extended family vacations. This vacation would just be…us. Duluth is a magical place for me. An eagerness sets in every time I drive those final miles downhill on the lazy north end of Interstate 35.... Read more
It was quite curious. They were both British Conservatives. They were both addressing the House of Commons (and their country). They were both mobilizing a nation against wicked Nazi aggression. And yet their speeches were so different. This is when I realized Winston Churchill could teach me a great deal about leadership. Let me explain. Seventy-seven years ago this week, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain stood wearily before the House. With shoulders visibly heavy with the burden of undeniable Nazi might, Chamberlain gazed... Read more
Okay. Okay. I choked up over a Michael Phelps commercial. There. I admitted it. But I’m not ashamed. Let me give you some background. It came out months before the Olympics even began. It was the latest in a line of commercials Phelps has done for the burgeoning sporting goods company, Under Armour. Attempting to “redefine what it means to be successful in training”, Under Armour unveiled a campaign of commercials respectively featuring the United States Women’s Gymnastics team, Jordan Spieth and... Read more
Oh, you saw it. Didn’t you? Look here and let me refresh your memory. Sitting in the corner of the “Ready Room” in Rio’s swimming center, a hooded Michael Phelps focused intently on the 200-meter butterfly semifinal awaiting him. With headphones fixed and jaw tight, Phelps envisioned the race as he stared ahead into the lanes of water occupying his mind’s eye. That is, until South African swimmer, Chad Le Clos walked in. With a cocky swagger and an... Read more
It was Christmas in New York when it happened. The gently brooding Jonathan Trager and the playfully superstitious Sara Thomas simultaneously reached for the last pair of cashmere gloves in the middle of the bustling department store. Their eyes met. The world slowed down. And a movie was born. Serendipity, starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, is a charming 2001 romantic comedy which puckishly explores the notion that Fate will deliver us to where we ought to be, that Destiny Knows Best. To prove this, the wide-eyed Sara... Read more
“Jesus Wept” by James Tissot “I’ll work until my last breath,” he laughed. And he honored those words. Father Jacques Hamel, beloved 85 year-old priest for St.-Étienne-du-Rouvray parish in Normandy, France, was ruthlessly executed today by devotees of the Islamic State (ISIS) while he celebrated Mass. The murder was macabre in method, unconscionable in motive and has left both a small Catholic church and a larger world shaken with grief and anger. When I heard this, there were no words.... Read more
“Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” – Matthew 22:21 He was toying with him, the Cardinal was. In Robert Bolt’s iconic play, A Man for All Seasons, it was late in the evening. Far away from the demands of London, Sir Thomas More was reclining in his comfortable Chelsea home when the summons came. Cardinal Wolsey, King Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor, requested the presence of Sir Thomas at once on a matter of “the King’s business”.... Read more
“The tragedy in a man’s life is what dies inside of him while he lives.” ― Henry David Thoreau If you haven’t heard the names Alton Sterling or Philando Castile in the last 24 hours, welcome back from Mars. But if you stop what you are doing and visit any major (or minor) news outlet, you will find an outpouring of emotion and commentary from presidents and governors, police chiefs and civil rights leaders, family members and shocked neighbors, talking heads and... Read more
I see it sometimes…when others don’t. Of course, this is likely because it is in my mind’s eye. Oh, at times it is an Irish pub ensconced in some craggy hilltop accessible, albeit not easily, by a rough climb along paths cheered by wind-blown heather. Other times, it is a cherry-wooded cottage library, shelves teeming with petite classic works, looking out upon warm, dense woods while the heavy door is closed but for moments to impart wisdom or share poignant... Read more
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