Rationing worked at the Thanksgiving Day table...let's try it for healthcare!

So, the big moment for me had finally arrived - mom's Thanksgiving Day stuffing was about to arrive from the kitchen. Now, ordinarily, I am a fan of moderation, trying to practice what I preach to patients.

But Turkey Day stuffing is an exception! This is one place where I will take 5-6 USDA serving sizes, and that is per helping...three of four helpings into it, some hormonal/biologic/genetic/astrologic response (which is way to complicated to explain on this blog) tells me that it is time to slow down.

So, imagine my horror when I heard mommy's dreadful words as the stuffing arrived this year:

"We only have a small amount of stuffing this year, so I will be handing it out to each of you monsters...I mean children...in equal, modest portions."

My heart dropped. Like the 32 year-old Beverly Hills stay-at-home mother of two (a cat and a parakeet) who NEEDS her weekly full-body MRI, I equally NEED my 20+ servings of mom's stuffing.

And like her, I was willing to pay for it!

"Mom, I'll give you my gas and electric bill, my phone bill, and my college loans to buy the whole pot from you," I shouted in the good ole' Thanksgiving spirit.

But she was not having it - see, she thought that in some weird kind of logic that (1) my cries for stuffing were really not as important to the common good as was her ability to equally divide the crumbly, breaded, addictive mixture, and (2) somehow, this amount of stuffing was not even in my own best interest, since the scientific measurement of the human stomach is only 10-12 servings of stuffing.

So, I guess what I am trying to say is that universal health care, rationed out on the basis of where healthcare is needed, is a much more sane way to do healthcare than the current order in which you get how much you can pay for, which is still rationing, but in an irrational way (unless you believe that health and healthcare is not a human right, but is something that should be reserved for those with money...in which case, you may need some stuffing yourself)

Was my brothers' desire for stuffing any less important than mine?
Did I really NEED what I claimed to NEED?
And who would have gone without if I had indeed gotten my way, and taken it all for myself?

Yes, there was personal sacrifice at the dinner table this Thanksgiving for me, but you know what, I already gave up a lot of my rights for the good of the people around me (e.g. not being able to drive as fast as I want on the roads, not being able to park near a fire hydrant, and leaving the toilet seat up when I am finished), and for something as important as healthcare, I would hope I could do the same.

In thanks,
Anthony

Running and racing...in a different way

As I watched them, one-by-one, come over the last hill of the 13.1 mile course, I felt a sense of joy.

Maybe it was the memory of a few months earlier, when we turned a lot of folks who were doubtful of their ability to run such a distance, into a group who was willing to trust my confidence in them, and work toward this goal together

Maybe it was feeling the sense of accomplishment each of them was feeling as they looked to the last 800 meters of the course

And, probably, it had a lot to do with the smiles on their faces.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Running with this team is a special thing. On a campus where varsity athletics are seen as the epitome of sport, the UNC Club team brings a more holistic approach to athletics.

They volunteer together and raise funds for local families in need.
They use the team to promote and advertise their individual service projects, mobilizing the entire team to work for causes such as Nourish International and the Ronald McDonald House.
They work hard together, and do so as a supportive family.
They set goals - both individual and collective - to challenge themselves, knowing that the discipline and work ethic involved will help make them successful in ways far beyond running.
They run with appreciation, understanding the privilege it is to be able to dance upon Mother Earth
Maybe most importantly, they don't take their running, or themselves, too seriously.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On days when I am troubled by the lack of justice and equity in this world (see all previous posts on this blog), this group is a healing tonic for me, not just a running team.

I hope they realize how unique and special they are!