2024 Articles

THE DICHOTOMY OF DREAMS & REALITY 

12/18/2024 

My wife called from the Italian Riviera to say that she was in an outdoor café, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, under the Tuscan sun breakfasting on Huevos Rancheros.
 

I was about to tell her that I was jealous, when she kicked and woke me, as she turned in bed next to me. I snickered to myself, and yawned. Looking out the window at the rising cliffs behind our house, watched the rising sun play pik-a-boo through the clouds, and soft rain and fog adding to the dramatic scene.
I sat on the edge of the bed listening to my wife’s soft breathing and the rain on the roof. Finally rising, I went outside breathing the morning air and smelling the wet earth of the Rocky Mountains. A blue jay shrieked as it flew by. I smiled and thanked my blessings.
I once found myself in an absurdly paradoxical situation treating two contradictory patients. One patient had come to see me after disagreeing and leaving one provider and refused by a second doctor for demanding more care than he was receiving. After a review of his records and a thorough H&P, I too concluded that his demand was unnecessary and unrealistic, resulting in an argumentative squabble. In the adjacent room, I was facing an overly appreciative and indebted patient whom I had correctly diagnosed her shoulder pain as a referred hepatic pain. The dichotomy of the situation was perplexing and disconcerting.
In our line of work, we could find ourselves in contrasting situations that would burden logic and sense. As was the case during a Christmas season. A zealous attorney known for his aggressive method was at our office with three of his colleagues and stenographer taking deposition from three of the five members of our practice. While uncomfortably dealing with this situation – being Christmas – many of our regular patients were there bearing cookies and goodies, thanking us for the excellent care they were receiving.  Does such contrasting situations enhance or devalue one’s standing. And does it sweeten or sour the flavor of life?
Should we be thankful for all the good we have done or be dissatisfied for those who felt wronged by us. Have we done enough or maybe too much for some and less for others. How can we judge our relationships and to what standard should we hold ourselves? The truth and blessing of our vocation is that there are no standards in dealing with human nature and that is what makes our work so special! Still, our wishful dreams vs the reality of our surroundings could be a curse or a blessing. Pray for it to be the latter.
 

Reza Ghadimi

-------------------------------------------------------- 

VETERANS DAY 

11/14/2024

 

Last Monday was Veterans Day. So, we salute all veterans. As a veteran myself, I truly appreciate their service to our country and people.  But it is saddening how some of our veterans are treated.  In the last twenty years, more than 30,000 active-duty personnel and veterans have died by suicide - compared to the 7,057 killed in combat in the same 20-year period. This is appalling and unforgivable.
 

Throughout history, many nations treated their veterans better than we do today.  Persians, Chinese, and Romans, for example, had high respect for them.  Julius Caesar, for instance, gave land to about 15,000 of his veterans. And it is well known that Emperor Augustus settled more than 300,000 veterans in colonies across the empire. The honorably discharged veterans also received about 3000 to 5000 Denarii's depending on their rank. Furthermore, they had certain rights and immunities. They could be a city councilor or serve in their local or regional governments. It seems that our leaders could learn a lesson from the ancients when it comes to caring for our veterans.
 

-billions frivolously on yachts, mansions, golf clubs, etc. Just one billion of that could help thousands of veterans out of poverty. There are VA benefits, of course, but it is hardly enough these days. Here is an idea; How about interest free mortgages for every veteran who wants to buy his/her first house? How about rent-free dwellings equal to the number of years served. How about a guaranteed state or federal government job, or free (really free) education.
 

There are many ways, our government, organizations, and wealthy citizens can help our veterans further. Let us try!

-------------------------------------------------------- 

MERRY-GO-ROUND OF HISTORY 

10/23/2024 

Having to deal with transferring our website to a new vendor – which has turned out to be a nightmare – kept me incommunicado with our wonderful readers like yourself. My apology! But today when I return to write an article, I find the chaotic state of our world frightening and disconcerting. So much so that I feel paralyzed to write anything, as it seems that the very fabric of our social is being torn apart by the very people who want to lead us. So, I decided to pull off this article from our archives and publish it again. Maybe it will resonate with some while deciding whom to vote for. 

Virgil was horrified, when he was forced out of his home of thirty years, by the government who confiscated it and gave it to retiring politicians and soldiers returning from war.
Though they were a family of farmworkers; His entrepreneurial father had succeeded in building a comfortable life for his family, and Virgil was educated in philosophy by some of the best schools of the time in Rome, Naples, and Milan.
He had been writing, and his forced homelessness had a profound effect on his work. He became popular, as many related to his philosophy and writing. His poem; The Aeneid has been popular for centuries.
Virgil was born Publius Vergilius Maro near Mantua, Italy on October 15, 70 BC, nearly 2100 years ago.
In the years since, countless wars and national discourses have displaced and exiled millions of people. All due to the pledge of those coming to power to eliminate this very prejudice, putting masses in a merry-go-round of promises, lies, and deceptions leading to disillusion and disappointments.
Today, our world is more disabled and unstable than ever. Despite all our technological advancements, we are no wiser. What is frightening is that while we are fighting each other for superiority and dominance, Mother Nature is re-arranging the very world we are fighting for, and that is where our attention needs focusing. For what we may win in our wars today could be underwater tomorrow. So, I ask you – as it is said – what good is caring for our beard, when we are about to lose our head?

-------------------------------------------------------- 

WAY OF WAKAN TANKA 

9/5/2024 

                                  HARM NOT THE EARTH UPON WHICH WE LIVE!

“When I was a young man I went to a medicine-man for advice concerning my future. The medicine-man said: ‘I have not much to tell you except to help you understand this earth on which you live. If a man is to succeed on the hunt or the warpath, he must not be governed by his inclination, but by an understanding of the ways of animals and of his natural surroundings, gained through close observation. The earth is large, and on it live many animals. The earth is under the protection of something which at times becomes visible to the eye.’”
                                           Lone Man (Isna la-wica) (late 19th century) Teton Sioux
Working with an elderly Taos Indian lady, a while back, we used to compare and marvel at the similarities of the beliefs of our elders. Much of the American Indian wisdom resembles what I was brought up with, half a world away. The most important thing is having respect for the earth and all that live upon it.
My grandmother would water the many plants in her garden every morning. She always saved a few drops of water and poured it upon barren ground, saying: “This is for the mother earth, herself.”
Such reverence for all things living cannot be learned from books, TV, or the internet. It has to become a part of one’s consciousness and awareness. Only then do we step upon the earth carefully, so as not to harm it or all that live on it.
 

Reza Ghadimi

-------------------------------------------------------- 

COUNTRY DOCTOR 

8/22/2024 

Big cities with their thousand-bed hospitals, universities and medical centers definitely have their allure.  Affiliations with them and the big salaries that come with them, are the dream of any fresh medical graduate. But none of that comes cheap or trouble-free. On the contrary, one can be sure that for every dollar earned, one pays many times over.
 

As a country doctor/provider, though, you’ll experience an entirely different lifestyle. I remember getting a call once, while working at a small-town clinic; “Reza, this is Helen, my daughter is bringing her baby to see you. Will you tell her to pick up a loaf of bread on her way home?”
 

I’ve been asked to x-ray someone’s dog - that had a bad habit of swallowing odd things - to see if it had eaten a nut off his bike. Another time, we were asked to hold a fisherman’s catch in our refrigerator while he fixed the breaks in his truck.
On the practice side, you’ll be a much better, intelligent, and knowledgeable provider by doing your own research, lab work and x-rays and not wait for the result called to you a week later. After all, when was the last time you did a U/A or blood count? Or when was the first time?
 

When the day is over, you’ll walk or take a short drive home. Rather than sitting in traffic for an hour or more, you can ride your horse by the river or, if you are one of those diehard golfers, play nine holes at the country club before dinner, while watching your day fittingly close with a magnificent sunset.
 

As a country doctor/healthcare provider, you’ll see many patients who know your name and you, theirs! You’ll remember every patient you saw, their progress or failure and (most importantly) why! Because you know them, their family, living situation/habits and routines. Enough so that you can discuss their medical issues, frankly and knowingly. Check their vitals and refill their prescription, and yes, even give them a message to pick up a loaf of bread on the way home!
 

Reza Ghadimi

-------------------------------------------------------- 

NATURE’S LANGUAGE 

8/1/2024 

A family of crows made quite a racket yesterday.
Their chorus of ggrrr & ggaarrrs indicative
Of protecting a family member. Often a young that has
Fallen out, or left a nest early.
 

I have come to learn the language of nature
In our mountains and canyons
The blue jays' happy call for food or
Return of the water into our ditch.
The cry of small birds when
Cats are around. And the very distinctive
Bark of our dogs when a rattlesnake comes close to the house.
The intelligence in their language is clear
Evident to all who listen to learn.
I have noticed, for example, that the family of
Coyotes, living in the canyon behind us, sits on the hill
Every morning and yelps, alarming the dogs in the valley.
Learning the dogs’ location, they
Guide their family safely around them.
Or our dogs’ dislike of snakes will not let up
Until I deal with it.
Snaring the rattler and placing it in a bucket.
Later, taking it to the mesa, and letting it go,
Where it too would be safe.
 

Though the crows know me well, they will not
Tolerate me close to their young.
My concern, however, is for our cats
Not getting hurt by the sharp talons
Of the protecting murder of crows.
 

Understanding the language of nature and people alike
Makes for appreciation of their intent
Averting conflict and living harmoniously.
We only need to listen.
 

Reza Ghadimi
August 2024

-------------------------------------------------------- 

ENTREATY 

7/25/2024 

Listen to me
Me the dreamer of peace
Tell them about me
To your clan, to your friends
Tell them about this hopeful dreamer.
 

Tell them to listen
Listen to my desires
They’re not delusions
Nor are they nightmarish fantasies
Tell them of my hopes and
Yes, that I am afraid
Afraid of failure.
 

It may not be much
Optimism of an old man
But that’s all I have and
I’ll shout it to all who’ll hear, or not
It’s my dream, my desire, my hope
If I cry, if I laugh, if I live or if I die
My dream will not change, not vanish
Will not be drawn by other voices.
 

For a world without peace cannot exist
Nor can I live such, I don’t know how
I want us all to be loved
By us, by them, by our elders and our children
Only then can we smile at life
At ourselves and each other
So, if I am furious and shouting
Listen to me and my words
There is only one world
It’s yours, it’s mine, it’s ours
It needs harmony, it needs peace,
Only then will it be loved by all.
 

Reza Ghadimi
July 2024

-------------------------------------------------------- 

PEACEMAKERS NEEDED! 

7/10/2024 

Last Tuesday (July 9th) was the birthday of the Queen of Romance: Barbara Cartland (1901). She wrote more than 700 novels and sold a billion books. She said: "My stories are always the same, because the girl is pure, and the man is not. The man will go to bed with any woman, but my heroine not until page two hundred, when she has a wedding ring on her finger. I tried writing modern books, but I found it very difficult to create convincing virgins in modern dress, so my stories are always set between approximately 1790 and 1890."
It is interesting that I have the same sentiment about today’s world leaders and politicians. As I find it very difficult to locate a peacemaker among them. The NATO Alliance is meeting in Washington this week, to celebrate its 75th anniversary. And not a one of them is talking about peace. Rather, they all boast about strengthening their military and preparing for more wars. The irony is that many of these so-called leaders either served or were present in the wars of the not so distance past.  Just last month, many of the same ones met in France to remember D-Day, eighty years ago. Are we really forgetting our history?
I don’t think that there has ever been a more appropriate time in history for a peacemaker. For this world is so in need of a Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King right now.
 

Reza Ghadimi

-------------------------------------------------------- 

CONTENTMENT 

7/3/2024 

As we celebrate in this time of uncertainties, ponder
A beautiful gift of life is experience.
Experience gives us understanding.
Understanding gives us knowledge.
Knowledge gives us know-how.
Know-how gives us satisfaction.
Such wisdom gives us contentment.
To be content, choose wisely.
 

Reza Ghadimi

-------------------------------------------------------- 

THE FUTURE OF THE PAST 

6/20/2024 

I had an absurd idea of “what if”
I had come fifty years into the future
From the nineteen seventies?
How would I compare my today
To fifty years ago? And I find myself
Witnessing a terrible future.
If I was to return to fifty years ago,
Knowing the consequences of
Fifty years’ happening, what
Would I change? Could I change?
 

A brother died of cancer long ago.
Though he was younger, he never knew
Cell phones, computers, or the internet.
“I hope that you find a cure for cancer
And make the future a healthier place.”
He said to me once.
 

Scientific advances raised my hopes
For such an upcoming, but now
Finding myself in the future of that era
I am lost as to where we went astray.
For despite all the advances
And all the cures we could have had
We are feeding the greed of a few.
Fighting unwinnable wars
Invading and killing neighbors
Polluting and destroying that
Which our very existence depends on.
 

Still, I see the solutions in our hands.
We just need the wherewithal to use it.
Perhaps the younger generation
Oh, the younger generation
How I pray for the younger generation.
Maybe the next fifty years!

Reza Ghadimi

-------------------------------------------------------- 

MEDICINE MAN 

5/23/2024 

My memory’s foggy at times - perhaps the old age
But I recall many instances of
Practice around the world.
Happy encounters on tropical islands
Sad ones of losing a young patient to gang violence
Horrified days, treating wounded soldiers.
At times, I scream. Give me back my life
Without painful remembrances.
But I can’t change what has been.
 

The sun rises, and the sun sets.
On a life that has been full.
In looking back, it is the smiles
And giggles of children,
Relieved faces of mothers
And satisfaction one feels of
An accomplished day that
Reminds me of all the good days
And the not so good ones too.
The nights, I slept well, and
The tossing and turning ones of
Maybe I should’ve done that or
Not should’ve the other.
 

It’s been a full life and
I can take solace in that over
Half a century of practice as
A Medicine Man, I always tried my
Best, and treated the ones under my care
With compassion.
My memory is not as sharp as it used to be.
But in remembering the life lived, I smile!
                                                                  Reza Ghadimi

-------------------------------------------------------- 

SENSUOUS SPRING MORNING 

5/2/2024 

It rained this morning
The early morning thunder awoke all, startled
An oddity in this desert world
Dawn’s early light strained through the overcast
Occasional flashes of sunlight reflected from fields of raindrops
Otherwise, there is no change
Not in the way the birds announce the day
Nor in the ennui of drops from the eaves.
 

The forest, though, seems happy
Her showered scent of freshness
Feels almost erotic
Rustle of a breeze, spray the drops off the leaves
And slide them down the branches,
Caressing stock and body, joyfully
One can almost hear the vegetation
Sigh with pleasure.
 

A light mist hides the mountain tops
The fog hugs the canyon walls sensually
Sliding within and through crevasses, cleave and folds
Deep in the loins of the earth, the moisture
Loosens rock and root to the pleasure of the land
Nature is ecstatic and euphoric.
We breathe the rhapsodic morning air and
Delight in all its glory.
It is a sensuous spring morning and all are glad to be a part!
 

Reza Ghadimi

-------------------------------------------------------- 

OF TEACHERS AND HEALERS 

4/11/2024 

When I was a little boy
My family owned a big bookstore
In it we had lots of books
For all generations and age groups.
Some took us far away
Others through mind's passageway
Books that told a silly story
And those that taught us history.
There were picture books and magazines
Almanacs, newspapers and quarterlies
 

The bookstore, a first of its kind
A big surprise for people to have at hand
Skepticism abounded, and many asked
"People are illiterate, why a bookstore?"
"People are illiterate, so a bookstore!"
Was the answer with a smile.
 

At the start, they just passed us by
Stretching their necks as they looked inside
Then stopped and looked, curiously attracted.
Finally, took a step inside, wide-eyed and fascinated
Walking around the many isles
Wondering eyes and questioning minds
"You can read them, if you like."
"I don't know how." They said back.
"It's OK, hold it in your hand
And with you, the book will have a chat."
 

In their hands they held a book,
Felt its weight, sense and power too.
Cautiously they looked inside,
Saw the words along each other's side
So clean and orderly they were
Page after page, book after book, shelf after shelf.
With a sigh, they began to leave.
"I wish I could read," said one with grief.
"Oh, but you can, do not fret."
"There are only 26 letters in the alphabet."
"All these books are made of those letters. You can bet!"
 

So it was that people came. Young and old, ladies and men.
Teachers came and made connections.
Classes started, students trained. Reading became a trend and then.
No one passed the store again.
The bookstore developed into a home
For seekers of knowledge and wisdom.
Much developed in that store
As was seen in their happy stare,
All because they were shown the way
And kept their uncertainty at bay.
 

In medicine, too, one can find solace, reward and happiness when treating patients as an individual, not a malady. And for their sake, not their money. Hence, gain satisfaction of being a true physician and