ON BOOKS AND BOOK LAUNCHES

“Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.” - William Faulkner

Another very busy and very long day today at work. Our staff development workshop is progressing very well and everyone is getting much out of it. There is quite lively discussion and much debate, there is a great deal of group activity, sharing of experiences and inspiration to go and apply in the classroom what has been shared. My presentation was well received and I suspect it made people think a little. That is more than one can hope for in such a forum.

In the evening we had our book launch. There were three books presented, my own textbook of pathology and the medical dictionary that I was working on for the past two years, as well as another textbook on remedial massage, a collaborative work of my colleagues. The function was well-attended with about a hundred people present. Everyone was most complimentary, the wine and the food were very good and the speaker was exceptional.

Our launch speaker was Dr Howard Goldenberg who is a general practitioner and who has written two books. They are personal books about matters that touch the heart.  He is in his early 60s and started writing only five years ago. The reasoning for each book is simple. The first book, “My Father’s Compass” is about his father. “He died. I loved him. That’s all.” The second “Raft” is about Aboriginal Australia. “I like people,” he says, “and I like trying to help.” Dr Goldenberg has worked in Aboriginal health in outback towns and remote communities since 1991.

He lives in Melbourne and works as a GP, plus a night a week at the Royal Children’s Hospital. However, about four times a year he goes off for a couple of weeks to somewhere such as Alice Springs, Katherine, Leigh Creek, Elcho Island or Balgo. These experiences of his in remote locations while trying to help people who live in extreme need exemplify what a doctor is and how he can change society for the better. I admire and respect him as a fine human being.

Today was an exhausting but extremely satisfying day. Spent with my colleagues, engaging them in all sorts of activities that exercised their mind and intellect, socialising with them and joking, laughing, sharing stories and experiences. Catching up with some old friends and colleagues and meeting some new people who are doing their bit to make the world a better place to live in. I thank providence for granting me bountifully all of these positive experiences. The opportunities are there for each of us to take advantage of, we just have to work at it in order to achieve what we want.