Wishing for Sore Thumbs.

An old story goes something like this; a man lost a leg and was sad about it, later he saw someone with no legs and thanked God for his one leg. 

When I was serving in the US Air Force, I had the good fortune of working with Dr. Eugene Thomas O'Brien who became a friend and mentor to me for many years.  Dr. O'Brien was a hand surgeon. One of the best there was. His composed and peaceful mannerism, calmed many chaotic and frustrating situations and his meticulous work and surgical techniques usually had marvelous outcomes. 
Once, I was helping him apply a rather bulky dressing to a patient's wound in our clinic's large cast-room.  I felt that the dressing was overdone and said;  "This sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb." He quietly tapped me on the hand and pointed to the patient behind me. I turned to see another patient of ours who had lost both hands in an explosion in Vietnam.  He held his bandaged arms up and in a chocked voice said; "Boy, how I wish for sore thumbs right now."
The world we live in is getting more complicated and while many call for protectionism and conservation of core values, others would like to see globalization and universalisation as the solution.  Recent events in France, UK, North Africa and Eastern Europe leave us scratching our heads. In the middle, the average person is confused and lost on whom to follow and what to believe.  While masses in one area are dying from famine and hunger, they seem to live in comfort in other parts of the world.  But the current protests in wealthy countries reveal that its not rosy there either, adding to the deepening of the chasms of disparity.  This is making many to sacrifice much in the hope of changing their shortcomings.  This chaotic environment is leaving many injured, sick and ill-treated, making the job of us healthcare providers more difficult.  Because of all the confusing quagmire of the world we live in, it is imperative that we (healthcare providers) do our job without prejudice and intolerance.  It is important that we do not create sore thumbs in people with no hands.