The website of the International Healthcare Community
PRACTICING FROM THE HEART
Welcome 2020 - May it be peaceful and prosperous for all!
It’s a wonderful world
On an unusually hot day last fall, my wife and I were hiking a mountain trail behind our house. Even the blue jays and chipmunks seemed dumbfounded by the heat. I was leaning on my walking staff, lost in the magic of the day. My wife, walking a few passes ahead, suddenly stopped, turned and whispered; "We are not alone!" pointing to the side of the road.
I turned to see, on a massive bolder by the side of the trail, a rather large rattle snake coiled up, soaking the sun. Seeing us, it slowly raised its head and darted its slit tongue in and out a few times in gesture of greeting. It raised its tail and lazily swung its rattler a couple of times before resting back on the warm rock. Not feeling a threat, it did not seem alarmed.
Just then an unnatural sound silenced the nature around us. Disturbed, I reached into my pocket and retrieved my cell phone. It was our daughter, wanting to know of our whereabouts. I answered her, and shutting the confounded thing, placed it back into my pocket. Turning around, I noticed that the snake had slithered away and was gliding into a ravine and out of sight. I cursed the annoying phone, and we continued on our hike.
Having lost my line of thought, I focused on the fantastic tools at our disposal. I grew up studying by a kerosene lamp. Out of town communication was by telegram and we took horse and buggy to school. In my lifetime, we invented jet aircraft, color television, went to the moon and back, computers, the internet and the blasted cell phone. So that we can be found and contacted miles away in the wilderness. Makes me wonder if our technology has leapfrogged way past our understandings at the cost of our civility and respect for one another. Today's rushed society reacts much faster to events. Repeatedly without thinking and often with dire consequences. We see the adverse results in many aspects of our lives. Make many wonder where is this taking us.
The world, however, is still a wonderful place. Let's slow down a bit, talk softly, listen more attentively. Hear the blue jays, coyotes, chipmunks, and the crows. Say hello to the snakes, the lizards and the frogs. Lets not forget that down bellow our apartments and vehicles, there is a planet that our very existence depends on.
While we are at it, lets be more tolerant listening to our patients. The good Lord has given us two ears and one mouth. If we listen twice as much as we talk, we will understand them better and avoid mistreating each other.
On an unusually hot day last fall, my wife and I were hiking a mountain trail behind our house. Even the blue jays and chipmunks seemed dumbfounded by the heat. I was leaning on my walking staff, lost in the magic of the day. My wife, walking a few passes ahead, suddenly stopped, turned and whispered; "We are not alone!" pointing to the side of the road.
I turned to see, on a massive bolder by the side of the trail, a rather large rattle snake coiled up, soaking the sun. Seeing us, it slowly raised its head and darted its slit tongue in and out a few times in gesture of greeting. It raised its tail and lazily swung its rattler a couple of times before resting back on the warm rock. Not feeling a threat, it did not seem alarmed.
Just then an unnatural sound silenced the nature around us. Disturbed, I reached into my pocket and retrieved my cell phone. It was our daughter, wanting to know of our whereabouts. I answered her, and shutting the confounded thing, placed it back into my pocket. Turning around, I noticed that the snake had slithered away and was gliding into a ravine and out of sight. I cursed the annoying phone, and we continued on our hike.
Having lost my line of thought, I focused on the fantastic tools at our disposal. I grew up studying by a kerosene lamp. Out of town communication was by telegram and we took horse and buggy to school. In my lifetime, we invented jet aircraft, color television, went to the moon and back, computers, the internet and the blasted cell phone. So that we can be found and contacted miles away in the wilderness. Makes me wonder if our technology has leapfrogged way past our understandings at the cost of our civility and respect for one another. Today's rushed society reacts much faster to events. Repeatedly without thinking and often with dire consequences. We see the adverse results in many aspects of our lives. Make many wonder where is this taking us.
The world, however, is still a wonderful place. Let's slow down a bit, talk softly, listen more attentively. Hear the blue jays, coyotes, chipmunks, and the crows. Say hello to the snakes, the lizards and the frogs. Lets not forget that down bellow our apartments and vehicles, there is a planet that our very existence depends on.
While we are at it, lets be more tolerant listening to our patients. The good Lord has given us two ears and one mouth. If we listen twice as much as we talk, we will understand them better and avoid mistreating each other.
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