Conversations rising from a lifetime trekking the ever-changing world of veterinary medicine
My Nonny was an interesting woman. When I was younger, I couldn’t see how any of her DNA could have been in me. First of all, she was a beautiful seamstress. That says a lot right there. But what I think, is it might just take a while for those cells to start to percolate …
In those days we were a bit asymmetrical. And, we wore our no commitment, free love on the outside. A messy eclectic sense of identity, I loved to shop the thrift stores for lovely old rayon dresses, the kind that old ladies wore. But sometimes I couldn’t remember not to throw them in the washer …
Chicago’s brownstone apartment buildings in the fifties and sixties were an explosion of sounds and smells. That’s where I grew up. The building we lived in had an inside front walk up three floors on tired old carpet. The smell of cigars and cigarettes blended with the various food smells in the air. And the …
This morning after chores I stood and watched Sun try hard to shine its brightest as it was rising. But clouds coming in from the southwest had other ideas. Brilliant rays burst up and shot to the top of the clouds. But, to no avail. Try as it might, the clouds slowly moved in and …
“An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event.” Anniversaries are remembered for all sorts of reasons. And, something I find at this age is that I have quite a collection of …
I can ruminate over something like a dog worrying a bone. More often than not, that gnawing turns into a story I tell myself. Now in my later years, I’m looking at some of these stories. I’m realizing they might not be honest and true. That’s when I believe I’ve been given an opportunity to …
What do you think happens when idealists get to be elders? I don’t mean ‘el-der-ly’. I mean elders. One of the ways we define humans is by age group. And as our society changes, we seem to modify the profiles around these age groups. Time is such a trickster. I remember when I was in …
Some call it intuition or gut feeling. I call it my “spidey senses” or my “higher self”. I’ve got a hunch; I’ve got a feeling… all those phrases we place on an internal trigger that’s hardwired in us. Primitive humans would use gut feeling as an additional tool to, say, escape being eaten by a …
Joni Mitchell’s influence I believe every woman should promise herself the gift of listening to Joni Mitchell’s Blue album before leaving this earth. Listen at night with the headphones of your choice and play as loud as you can comfortably stand it. Relaxing substances are optional. There was a lot of poignant music that defined …
If you spend just a little time searching the web, you’ll find groups whose sole purpose is supporting the mental health and well-being of veterinary professionals. They are welcoming, inclusive, and, with open arms they offer a place of respite and an ear of understanding to those whose hearts are in pain. Someone to walk …