Category Global health and disparities
FMM 5 3 13 Catching the Trifecta
Many years ago I was given some very good advice by one of my nursing instructors. In class one day she drew an equilateral triangle on the board. She labeled each side physical; spiritual and psychological. She then told us that it was very important that we pay attention to each aspect of our lives […]
FMM 4 19 13 What Price Freedom?
“I write what I like” ~ Steve Biko. April is National Poetry month. The poet has a particular way with words, chooses them with care and precision so as to paint a picture with as few brush strokes as possible. I have been thinking recently how fortunate the writer is. An artist has to buy […]
FMM 4 12 13 ‘It is what it is.’ Or is it?
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” ~Reinhold Niebuhr. Several things have happened recently to remind me how important your attitude to your life is. It may take us a while before we learn how to deal […]
FMM 3 15 13 The meaning of life
The sight of the night sky filled with stars is enough to stop you in your tracks and wonder ‘what does it all mean?’ I got my first view of a tropical sky, far away from the city lights from the deck of an ocean liner. I was seven years old; the family was on […]
2 15 13 Truth or consequences
“When we take words to be statements of ultimate truth, then differences of opinion will inevitably result in conflict.” ~Joseph Goldstein Have you ever known people who use the word ‘truth’ to mean opinion? People who will tell you whatever is on their mind, and then tell you “I always speak the truth”, failing […]
2 8 13 Angels Unawares
“The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us and we see nothing but sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are gone.” George Elliot How do you picture an angel? I remember as a child being a little ambivalent about a host of bland, […]
FMM 1 25 13 “Lively up yourself!” Bob Marley
FMM 1 25 13 “Lively up yourself” Bob Marley Is there anything as unattractive as a slouch? Someone who walks with no energy, arms folded or hands in pockets, looking as if they would rather be anywhere than where they are? It has always made me crazy to see people who approach their job […]
FMM 01 11 13 “Information is not Knowledge” Albert Einstein
‘I learn something new every day.’ When I heard this statement recently, it stopped me dead in my tracks. It made me think in detail about information, knowledge and learning. Our society is bombarded with information daily, some of which hits us personally, while much just passes us by. We are overwhelmed with trying to […]
FMM 01 04 13 Torn between two lovers
When my father plucked his entire family from Manchester, England and transferred us to the center of the island of Jamaica, he had no idea he was creating a lifelong dilemma for me. I am frequently pulled between two shores: the beautiful exotic island I grew up in and the severe, mysterious mountains of North […]
FMM 12 28 12 Turn, Turn, Turn
It is almost time to turn the page on 2012, and start afresh, a brand new slate. 2013 beckons us, and invites us to think about new beginnings, new opportunities. Some people do this through New Year’s Resolutions, but I have never joined that club. In fact my joke is that I resolve each year […]