Who's the old guy?
That's <Hippocrates>, a 5th century Greek physician who's credited with - among other things - propagating the concept of "first, do no harm" in the practice of medicine, and authoring the well known <Hippocratic oath>.
No doubt he did not personally compose it, but his disciples who did years later were representing his morality and attitudes toward the practice of medicine.
The original oath included this line:
Moreover, I will give no sort of medicine to any pregnant woman, with a view to destroy the child.
Notably, that line is absent from the modern version of the Hippocratic oath, rewritten in the early 1960's.
Can't be throwing stones at the profitable multi-million dollar death industry.
Missing, too, from the modern version is any sense of responsibility to the divine, limiting its scope instead to only the human sphere.
It can get awkward once you acknowledge <judgment awaits> for your actions in life.
Best to leave those theological details a bit fuzzy and soldier on as if physical life is the end all and be all.
So why do we care about any of this?
Well, if we put actual shoe leather on those three words - primum non nocere - instead of just bandying them about in the ethereal realms of philosophical debate, think how much better our world could be:
- We wouldn't be obsessed with using abortion as post-coital birth control and killing babies in utero. Nor would we give this abominable practice the Machiavellian title of "reproductive health".
- We wouldn't have <criminal political subterfuge> undermining the will of the people. Instead, there would be government <of the people, by the people, for the people>.
- We wouldn't allow men to beat on women under the protection of organized sports, pretending they somehow traded their Y chromosome for an X via surgery, chemistry or just by wishing it so.
The list goes on and on and on - it's woven into the fabric our sad history and will continue as the warp and woof of our depressing future - but it doesn't have to be that way in your little corner of the world.
Nor in mine.
First, do no harm.
Was looking through my old high school yearbook the other day and came across this picture of me before the big game:
We'd just gotten new uniforms so all of us felt pretty special.
What? You don't think that's me in high school?
Fine, it's Jim Thorpe in 1912, November 9th, the day of the big game against Army at West Point.
The Carlisle Indians head coach, Pop Warner, took a moment to remind them of some history and the importance of this game:
"Your fathers and your grandfathers are the ones who fought their fathers.
"These men playing against you today are soldiers.
"They are the Long Knives. You are Indians.
"Tonight, we will know if you are warriors."
Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indians...
...crushed Dwight D. Eisenhower - yes, that Dwight D. Eisenhower along with eight other future generals - and the Army Cadets team, 27-6.
How sweet it was.
Besides, if anyone should be complaining, it's me for the way I'm playing recently.
Last week I managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on the 9th hole.
All square after 8, and none to happy about it; 4 bogeys against 4 double bogeys, so not my best round.
I just needed to bogey the par 3 #9 for an unexciting 1 up win.
Mashie to the left side of the green...niblick over the green...niblick onto the green, 5 feet from the hole.
That's 3, so putting 4 for the win...2 inches to the right, and why do I play this game again?
This week was equally unexciting, but hey...this time there are pictures:
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my birdie putt on #4 that I skillfully turned into a bogey. |
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my birdie putt on #5... |
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...but this time I carded the only par I had today |
So once again it came down to the 9th hole.
Mashie in front of the green, niblick 6 feet from the pin, maddening 2 putt for bogey which in my incompetent world, passes for a win.
Sometimes this feels more like a confession than a recounting of my hickory golfing exploits.
And while I usually enjoy a little solitude, a little exercise and a pleasant stroll through the countryside...with today's heat, humidity and bugs, it was more like a tiresome slog through a mosquito infested jungle.
Hoping for better next week.
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a beautiful bouquet from Karen's gardens |
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recent escapee from Meijer Gardens |
some "up north" serenity courtesy of Larry |
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hibiscus continue blooming... |
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...gracing us with their beauty |
Our drought conditions continue, as we're getting about a half inch of rain every 2 or 3 weeks...nowhere near enough.
Couple that with temps in the 90's and dewpoints in the 70's, and it's been unpleasant lately.
But as Karen reminded me recently, in 6 months we'll be doing the same thing then that we are now: complaining about the weather...only then it will be due to cold and snow and ice.
At least we don't have to shovel sunshine.
So...attitude adjustment time with some help from God's Word:
16 Rejoice evermore.
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
- I Thessalonians 5:16-18
later, mcm fans...