Y’all must know that nephrology has a special place in my heart and psyche. For some reason, I decided that an artificial kidney should be something I would develop (beginning at the age of 8). And, for more than 1/3 of my years on this earth, at least 1/3 of my time (as measured in 24 hour cycles) was devoted to dialysis, renal treatment, and the various associated maladies and physiological ramifications to kidney functions.
Fifty years. In the course of human history, it’s a pretty short time. In the course of the history of the United States, it’s a significant portion. In the life of man, it’s amazingly long. 50 years ago today, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed one of the two or three significant bills that were enacted in his administration. Among the others were the establishment of Medicare and the Voting Rights Act (which has been since decimated). The one that took life today, 50 years ago was the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It was a seminal event to me. Because I knew what discrimination felt like, and because I had seen what and how the South- and the North and the West and the Midwest- treated folks different from the majority.
Continue reading 1/2 a Century
Stubborn. Determined. Disciplined. Persistent. All of these words say the same thing- even if some of them evoke negative connotations. And, the personality characteristics that underlie these words are critical to bring about change. (We also need to know when and if we need to stop being persistent- sometimes it is time to stop.)
Continue reading The year is half-over…What have you done so far?