I heard a great discussion on the radio the other day. It was an interview of a medical doctor, a cancer surgeon by the name of Atul Gawande. He had a great deal to say about his dying patients.
He would do his best to give all the medical options to his dying patient, and then ask them what they wanted to do. The patient would then try to turn the table on him and ask him what he would do if he were in their shoes. He would then reply that he could not make that decision for the patient, because he didn't know and couldn't guess what they were living for. In other words, he turned the table back on the patient by asking the patient what they wanted out of the rest of their life.
What would one more day buy you? What would you do with it? What would give meaning to your life (or to that one more day... if you could live it)?
After listening to this, it occurred to me we are ALL in the patient's situation. We are all dying, albeit in slow motion. We should ALL be asking ourselves what we want out of the rest of our lives.
We should ask ourselves this each and every day when we get out of bed.
It has been said that youth is wasted on the young. I agree. When we are young, most of us pursue all kinds of ridiculous hobbies and past times that consume an enormous amount of time, as if we will live forever.
But what is it that gives your life meaning? What will you do today that will make your life worthwhile?
What do YOU think? Leave a comment!
Monday, October 30, 2017
Big Ideas, Big Ideas, Big Ideas!
You may know Google has a subsidiary named, 'X' whose goal is to come up with revolutionary ideas that they affectionately call, "Moon Shots". Moon Shots are projects, which by Google's definition, will take ten years or more to pay off in some big way.
What are the top ten problems the world that you would solve if you could?
Here's my list:
The first two are a given. These are usually expressed by contestants in a Miss America contests. The third, "Population Control", has several possible solutions. We do have birth control drugs and barrier methods.
"Life extension - What is aging?" is a tough nut to crack. But with the human genome now mapped, who knows? We may someday find the, "Fountain of Youth". Eternal life? Snake oil anybody?
Several of these are interdependent. When you make progress on one of them, you will help the others. Fusion will allow us unlimited energy and we can address several of the others, such as waste reclamation, clean the air, and de-acidify the oceans.
What do you think? What are YOUR top ten problems? Leave the world a message to call attention to what you believe are the most important problems we need to solve.
What are the top ten problems the world that you would solve if you could?
Here's my list:
- World Hunger
- World Peace
- Population Control
- Life Extension - What is aging?
- Global Warming (Climate Change)
- Wildlife Preservation ("Save the Whales")
- Energy Generation (Nuclear Fusion)
- Waste Reclamation - Plastic & Metals
- Air Pollution
- Water Pollution - De-Acidify the Oceans.
The first two are a given. These are usually expressed by contestants in a Miss America contests. The third, "Population Control", has several possible solutions. We do have birth control drugs and barrier methods.
"Life extension - What is aging?" is a tough nut to crack. But with the human genome now mapped, who knows? We may someday find the, "Fountain of Youth". Eternal life? Snake oil anybody?
Several of these are interdependent. When you make progress on one of them, you will help the others. Fusion will allow us unlimited energy and we can address several of the others, such as waste reclamation, clean the air, and de-acidify the oceans.
What do you think? What are YOUR top ten problems? Leave the world a message to call attention to what you believe are the most important problems we need to solve.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Let's Use Our Untapped Talent... Retired Engineers and Scientists.
Just imagine... You are an eighth grade math or science teacher. You have forty kids to teach in each of your five classes during the day. You struggle to get through the lesson plan, much less to help every student in all of your classes.
Now let's change the equation.
You are the instructor, and you still have forty kids in each class to teach. But you have ten helpers in your classroom who know the material, because they have sat through your lecture numerous times, and they could teach the material themselves, except they are not certified teachers. They are retired scientists and engineers who care about kids, and they are patriotic. They care about our the future of our country.
Why? They know, more than most, what kind of knowledge and persistence is required by our technological society. They know first hand the talent and skills which will be required to do well on an SAT or ACT exam to get into college, and to do well once they get in.
And finally, they know how important it is for the future of the United States to have smart young people who understand science and engineering and how the world works.
Are YOU a retired engineer or scientist? Get involved! Volunteer at your local High School or Middle School. You can change the world, one child at a time!
What do YOU think? Leave a comment!
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
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