HEALTH IS WEATH! Enlightening Responses

Health is Wealth
© October 2006
James R. Fisher, Jr., Ph.D.

REFERENCE: These are some of the responses to my “Health is Wealth” missive. I related in the piece to my good fortune with regard to my health, relating a conversation with my doctor, who took the opportunity to comment on society’s health, which he found close to life support.
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(1) This is the response of an executive with a high tech company in the USA.
It’s been interesting to follow the dialog. You could substitute Mishawaka for Clinton, and have a similar story although I think Mishawaka has adapted better, or tried to.

(I had mentioned that my hometown of Clinton, Iowa seemed to be moving away from its roots, and that Americans were burning the candle at both ends and getting away with it, at the moment.)

Maybe Americans burn the candle at both ends for stimulation and to avoid boredom. I know I do.

Soldier on bro,

E

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(2) This is the response of a former top scientist of a government agency, whom I called my brother inasmuch as we have both been schooled in the physical and behavioral sciences, and graduated from high school the same year in the same hometown.

Jim

I very much appreciate your words - both in this email and those
that you choose to share with your readers.
I don't agree with some of which you write but wouldn't it be a 'shitty'
world if we could only _agree_ on all issues.

I applaud your need to write. If you didn't, I'm afraid it might all
'explode' and that would be pretty 'messy' huh? :-P

We will do what we have to do. Even win one now and then! But we only
pass this way one time so until they put in a reliever, keep on
_pitch'n_ (and _catch'n_ too).

Your brother in spirit...

=;-D

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(3) This is the response of a European friend and former executive colleague of mine when I worked in Europe. He is a German National and lives in Germany and his children, all successful professionals, educated in both Germany and the USA, are now living in America. He and his wife gave my wife Betty and me a splendid tour of Frankfurt on one of our European visits. This was especially rewarding as we toured the home of one of my favorite authors, Goethe. He, like Hemingway, I discovered, wrote his wonderful novels, poems and plays standing at his desk.

Jim,

I always cherish your missives and essays, even in cases not in line with my opinion. But this is what friendship is all about: If we would be always in sync with each other, it would be no gain for us, because we only can learn from different points of view. When you are critical with your country (as I'm with mine), it shows that you are wishing it to improve. If you wouldn't be critical, that would mean, you are without any interest or passion for your country. Those who don't understand this are too narrow-minded and self centered, i.e. ignorant. Just the various cultures and heritages (melting pot) have made the U.S. so strong and advanced, whereas Europe is still tied to its traditions. Giving this tolerance up would be a setback and terrible mistake.

Keep on going, my friend.

Manfred

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(4) This is the response of a government official of Austria who also owns a business magazine of business book best sellers. He published the most comprehensive article of mine on leadership and creativity that I have ever had published. To add to my delight it was published beside one’s of Europe’s most advanced thinkers on leadership. When we visited him in Innsbruck, he gave Betty and I a wonderful tour of the castles of the Austrian Empire, along with cultural lessons of the Hapsburg monarchy. We were also in Zurich when they celebrated the emperor’s gift of the "golden dome" to the empress, an annual event that highlighted the visit.

Dear Jim,

I think your “Health is Wealth” piece illustrates perfectly why so many people in wealthy countries suffer from mental and physical illnesses. That’s not only a problem in the US. Of course being ill is not always somebody’s own fault, but many people could lead a better life if they would change their attitude a little bit.

It’s always inspiring and a pleasure to hear from you.
Best wishes to you and Betty

Alex

P.S.: Plan to visit the States next year to get a deeper impression of your country.

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(5) This response is from a publisher of many journals and periodicals who has seen fit to published a good number of my works over the past two decades. Were it not for his devoted support, should I die tomorrow, the world would never have known what one man thought about a myriad of things. I am eternally grateful to him.

Jim,

Keep fit.

Ken

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(6) This is from a man who has published three books that are so loaded with information that they could fill a thousand book library. He happens to be a brilliant engineer, who would scoff at the suggestion. But as holder of more than one hundred patents, I don’t think this could be construed as chump change. He is a friend and doesn’t always agree with me but always makes me think beyond my narrow bands.

We're glad your checkup was good. Good news indeed. The psychological state of your "audience," you already knew from your own experiments. Cheers
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(7) This is from a person I’ve only met once, but have had a lively conversation with her through emails. She enjoys good health, but as her communiqué indicates she is also blessed with good genes. To me she is a Renaissance woman in that she quietly does her best to make the planet safe and healthy and beautiful for the generations to come. She doesn’t write classics, or lay paint on canvasses that will fill galleries and museums. Her classics and galleries are created and painted by Mother Nature. I envy her closeness to the Earth.

EXCELLENT, Jim!

Thanks for the reminder. My dad is 92, my mom 90. He is journeying on, but she still swims 30 laps a day. He is at home, per his wishes, with 27/78 nurses, listening to Benny Goodman cds and resting most of the time. They went to Mayo Clinic annually for 48 years (and got their work done in three days -- not three months!) My mom has been in the hospital twice (for births of her two children) and takes only a few pills: vitamins, aspirin regime and calcium. Never too late, I guess! (Good genes, as well, as all four of my grandparents - their parents - lived into their eighties and nineties!)
F

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(8) This is from a Canadian engineer who keeps me informed of the thinking north of the border as well as what is going on in his “house of intellect.” We have never met but feel as if we know each other through this medium. I value his comments.

Dear deltagrpfl@cs.com,

Your friend thought you might be interested in this canada.com
story:

"Harper blocks Lebanon resolution"

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=80d16e11-b92b-4fe7-a6dd-4a47c26d2e9f&k=28442

Hi Jim,
We have a rookie PM (Canada) who is showing signs of being a true leader. He
has been accused of using Bush rhetoric in Canada but I have not heard it
myself. He is smart, very smart. We'll see how he makes out. He's been in
office only 7 months. Be well young fella and thanks for the article on
health. I passed it on to my caged son.
George

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This is a free service courtesy of
canada.com (http://www.canada.com)

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(9) This is from the most brilliant classmate in my high school class, a fine athlete, and the temperament that God must have committed to the drawing board when he was having one of His best days. He read through my long (600+ page) manuscript, edited it, and suggested cutting some (200+) pages of IN THE SHADOW OF THE COURTHOUSE. He has always been on the same wavelength as my wife, Betty, as to what writing I should be doing, but I do resist, and persist doing what I am doing here now.

Jim,

Conversation writing is your best writing.
B-

(The missive was written in dialogue form as the doctor held court with me after my examination.)

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COMMENT: I share this with you to give you a sense of people thousands of miles apart feeling connected together through this wonderful medium called the Internet. As I’ve often said, my desire is not to convince you to think as I do, but to be alert, ever alert to the dangers of our times, and yes, to the nature of self-imposed dangers as well, the folly of lifestyle. If vigilance be called paranoia, so be it!

Today, in a small Amish community in the northeast of the USA in a one-room schoolhouse, a gunman killed three children and himself for an apparent grievance that had festered for twenty years, not against the Amish, but against something – it is not known at this time.

I mention this because my Betty, who is the business manager at a Jewish day school, has giant boulders at the entrance to the school parking, and off-duty Hillsborough County Sheriff deputies are always on duty whenever school is in session.

She knows the tens of thousands of dollars that this security costs, and sometimes wonders if it is necessary. A long time ago, I said I applaud the school’s Board of Directors for their foresight and generosity, as parents are footing the bill.

If this Amish school had had such protection, there would only be one dead person, today, and that would be the mad gunman.


Always be well,

Jim

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