personal development
Becoming a better person can be a gradual process of discovery and growth over many years. Or it can be a hell-bent drive to climb out of a black hole where a crash and burn is always at hand and failure is never an option .
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East Meets West: Brad and Elly get married
Elly’s parents and older brother arrived at San Francisco International Airport from Okayama, Japan to their daughter and sister get married. On their wedding day, Brad went up to their room at a nearby Marriott, and Elly introduced them as Otosan and Okasan, which meant Father and Mother. They bowed politely and spoke in Japanese which Elly translated. Okasan was bent over, leaned on a cane with one arm, and gave Brad a kind smile. Otosan stood rigidly, eyes like coals burning through thick black framed glasses, supporting his wife by her other arm. They were slightly shorter than Elly’s 5’ 3” and almost as petite. The brother shook Brad’s…
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A match made on Earth
Brad complained to a female colleague at work that he had recently divorced. “She took it all, I couldn’t even pay the rent!” he said. It was stupid to mix his personal problems with work, but his co-worker gave him a big hug in their white coats and told him to hang in there. He almost asked her out but the old rule don’t get your honey where you make your money saved him. The following week she gave him a newspaper ad for a matchmaking service. “Don’t take any more chances. Let the pros find you the right,” she said. Her voice had a musical ring to it, and…
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adverse childhood experience, business corruption, doctor work, human psychology, personal development
After healing the inner child, something is missing
Dr. Sherman peered across his big oak desk at Brad, and then at Hannah. A wizened old man in thick spectacles, he had seen every misfortune that could fall on a human life, and the consequences. After a thorough evaluation backed by 40 years of psychiatric practice, he had only three words. “Go to sleep,” said Dr. Sherman. His tone was gentle but firm. “Go to sleep? What the hell does that mean?” says Hannah. “I brought you this poor doctor who has been bamboozled and cheated by everybody and their damn mother, and all you can say is go to sleep?” Her sharp voice cracked like a whip, causing…
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The nurse who tried to heal a doctor
Hannah was an impetuous surgical nurse with violet eyes and thick black hair, who could pass as a 35 year-old Elizabeth Taylor. Brad had met her the previous year when she assisted him on one of his surgeries. She was so good that he always requested her as his assistant. He would never know that she always requested to work with him, too. They had gotten along so well that he had shared his misfortunes about Dr. Black ,and even his bankruptcy. “How are things at the office these days, doc?” Hannah said. She loaded a suture and handed him the instrument so he could begin closing the skin after…
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Predators in private practice
Five years at Cook County Hospital transformed Dr. Brad Rosedale into an experienced trauma surgeon who wouldn’t flinch at the sight of the worst carnage. No matter how much blood, how many broken bones, or how bad was the mangled extremity, each body part was a challenge that he could fix and usually restore to proper function. The Uzi machine gun victims, suicide jumpers, and nerve and artery repairs from sword slashes, no longer made him anxious, wondering “how the hell are we going to fix this.” Now, it was just another day or night on the job. Chicago was a glittering city of polar opposites, an incongruous melting pot…
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An application for medical school
Brad hoped that deciding to become a doctor would impress his pretty 25 year-old college undergraduate adviser. Sitting in front of her little desk in the Behavioral Sciences building, he announced his decision, and she smiled. That helped him get the courage to suddenly ask “Hey Liz, I was wondering if you would go see a movie with me?” Her eyes widened, but she toned it down in a way that many women who get a lot of propositions do. “Sure why not? What movie did you have in mind?” “I’ll find something,” he said. Shy around girls, he was feeling nervous and caught off guard. “How about Friday evening?”…
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You want to be a doctor? Hahaha
“You don’t really mean that. You don’t really want to be a doctor.” Natalie looked at him with one eye closed and blew a cloud of smoke at him. She knew he hated that. Then, she laughed. “I mean it, Mom. I made straight As my first year of college, and my undergraduate advisor suggested it. She got me thinking – what better way is there to help people and also be successful? Even help our family.” Brad ignored the foul odor of the cheap cigarettes. Talking about helping the family however, that rang hollow in his ears. But, he had to give her a little credit. She wasn’t a…
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The chess player with a broken wrist
Brad walked into gymnastics practice with a long arm plaster cast, suited up and ready to work out with two legs and one good arm. Coach Peters spotted him, and his face immediately flushed bright red. “Brad? Oh m-my g-god! What’d the doctor say?” Mr. Peters was mostly concerned about covering his own butt. He had pushed Brad to work out on the painful wrist for weeks, taping it for support so tightly that his hand would turn blue. Its only a sprain, he would say. “The doctor said I have a scaphoid fracture and I have to wear this for 6 months!” said Brad. Coach’s eyes were darting back…
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The Visitation: “To become square, square yourself”
The next eviction notice came after Brad turned 14, which was right before the Christmas holidays. Mo was between jobs, working hustles with his partner Shue. Plays he called them. They would come in all excited in the middle of the night, get drunk, and pass out. Natalie would get some cash for food, beer, cigarettes, and her Astrology magazine. But lately there hadn’t been many good plays and they were 3 months behind on the rent. The Sheriff posted notice and they had to get out. The parent’s options were living in the car, or giving the kids up to foster homes. In desperation, she called her mother Mary…
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Son, can I borrow that paper route money?
Bradley pumped the pedals hard and made the two miles home in no time. He ran into the house to share the news, almost tripping over Glen who was playing on the floor. “Watch it kid! What’s got you so worked up?” said Mo, who was watching a Marlboro commercial on TV, and smoking one too. He was in a good mood so Bradley handed out the form from Mr. O and told the story. Natalie interrupted. “No you can’t have a paper route. You’re going to get killed riding your bike around and throwing papers on Colorado Boulevard. And all the freaks will rip you off!” “Aw come on Nat,…