I Am...

I am...

Hmmm, what am I? I don't think I ever had trouble describing myself before, but as I sit here in front of this blank screen, I realize that I don't quite know how to start an honest description of myself. I will try my best, though, so you have an understanding of my perspective in the stories I will share.

First and foremost, I am not perfect. Who is, really? My attempts to have the perfect life have all been in vain and, instead of fighting that fight, I have come to realize with age that my imperfections may be much more interesting.

Secondly, I am observant. I seem to grasp the smaller life moments that may be missed or may seem mundane to someone without a searching eye. It's these simple, boring moments that hold so much more excitement. These moments of rawness and realness make me thankful to be walking the path that I am on.

So what path is that? Well, quite simply, I am a husband. I am a father. I am a friend, a son, a brother, and uncle, a nephew, an athlete, a writer, a lover of books, of music, of nature...I could make this an endless, if boring, list. It is funny to think, though, that the thing I worked the hardest for in my life is probably the thing I want least to define me.

What is that, you ask yourself? Well, I am also an emergency medicine physician.

Unlike some of my comrades, I am not in need of a pedestal to stand. I don't have a big ego. I actually view sharing my occupation with someone as detrimental. The stigmas attached to being a physician can range from absolute adoration to pure disgust. It seems this scale directly correlates with the person's age; the older a person, the more adoration. Well, maybe barring the seventy year-old lawyer. Who needs these projected feelings?

Another reason I don't share? Do you know how many people want to tell you about their hemorrhoids once they find out that you are a physician? Or their bowel movements? Or that thick, fungal toenail they've had for ten years? And please, whatever else, don't ask me to look at that mole on your back that's going to remind me of a head of broccoli.

These reasons alone are enough to keep me from sharing with the typical person what I do. I would like to think that neurosurgeons aren't spared these stories either, but that may be wishful thinking.

So from you, my friend, I ask a favor. Be patient and give me time to unwrap my layers to you. My stories will be funny. My stories will be heartbreaking. My stories will be personal. My stories will be professional. My stories will be your glimpse into a life that may differ from yours. It is my hope that you enjoy them, that something from my experiences may touch your core.

Until next time...thanks for visiting.

New posts will start Monday, November 23 and follow a MWF schedule.