Author Archives: JR Stanley

Our greatest fears are not pain, discomfort, or difficulty. What man and woman dread most is not the agony of torn flesh or broken bones. These will heal. What man and woman find intolerable above all else and dread before any other is the agony of a broken spirit and a lost soul. Losing theirContinue reading “S2.10 Epic”

The famous lines in the musical Annie come as Annie dreams of the promise that better days are ahead.  “Tomorrow, Tomorrow! I love you tomorrow You’re always a day Away”  Hope of a better tomorrow, an improved future is the why that drives and overrides the what for many people. Most of our routine actions,Continue reading “The Corona Diaries Episode II: The Promise Of Tomorrow, The Curse Of Eternity”

When times are good, it is often difficult to remember what is essential and what is a luxury. Periods in which things are more difficult, either by choice or by unfortunate circumstance are revealing, humbling, and grounding.  Time is one of the commodities we feel that we are constantly on the brink of running out.Continue reading “The Corona Diaries I: Essential”

There are good reasons to run. Exercise and fun are probably the best and most common. Rarely if you are in immediate danger such as are going to be hit by a car, trapped in a burning building, or escaping from a flash flood. Running could also be necessary to help someone else, perhaps aContinue reading “S2.9 Walk, Don’t Run”

Reading a storyline, both stories that actually happened and those that have been imagined, we track with the narrative of the main character or characters. Readers of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series are enchanted with the magical world that intersects with the seemingly mundane world of the non-magical. They are caught up in the plightContinue reading “S2.8 Hero Of Your Own Story”

The narrative we are being sold on climate change holds the wrong emphasis. The earth has never been a static place, rather it has been a dynamic place of rapid change, and rapid correction of momentary imbalance. Populations have grown too large, shrunk too small, and species have gone extinct. Species change their form toContinue reading “S2.7 The Ants Go Marching On”

When I was younger I had several misconceptions about health and the human body. The first was an overzealous faith in the state of medical knowledge and the abilities of physicians, the second a belief that taking shelter from the environment was the best way to prevent declines in health.  Death, I initially thought, wasContinue reading “S2.6 Medicine And Movement”

Life keeps going while you are training. Medical training takes a long time; doing a PhD in the middle certainly does not shorten things. Making time for things outside of medicine including family, friends, exercise, and hobbies are critical to success in training, longevity in the medical field, and overall happiness. Degrees do not defineContinue reading “S2.5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Medical School”

“Physician heal thyself” has changed to a plea “Physician don’t kill thyself”. Every year it is estimated that 300-400 physicians commit suicide. To put this in perspective, my graduating medical school class is approximately 200. So every year up to twice the number of my classmates who are entering the workforce, exit the workforce inContinue reading “S2.4 Physician… Don’t Kill Thyself”