Dearest Rachel –
Far be it from me to consider the members of the medical profession as a group of ‘stooges.’ As much as we enjoyed that slapstick trio (you every bit as much as myself – how many females are like you in that way?), we recognized the absurdist humor when they were in settings such as a hospital; how could any of them possibly be taken seriously as doctors in the first place? Then again, humanity has been conditioned over generations to recognize certain professions – and their respective uniforms, so to speak – as people with a specific sort of knowledge and skill, and to offer them a measure of respect in accordance with those assumed qualities. As with the proverbial fool who keeps silent and is assumed to be wise, so too is a man in a scrubsuit expected to know what he’s doing when he stands before a patient in the operating theatre, scalpel in hand – until he starts speaking or cutting, revealing his lack of expertise to all.
But then again, who am I to say ought against them? If there is folly in so many words, what does that say about me? In these past couple of years, I’ve said so much to you that anyone could see me for the fool I am quite easily. Nor was I exactly silent throughout our nearly thirty years together. But perhaps the fact that I was your fool was enough for you; that I was one was secondary to the fact that I was yours. It’s not as if I ever made (or make) any claims to some sort of higher wisdom that could be (indeed, in far too many situations, deserve to be) punctured.
And that’s where the profession seems to have gone awry in these last few years. One might expect that, as time goes by, the sum total of knowledge will always increase, rendering any profession requiring it that much more so, and thereby, increasingly worthy of respect and honor. But those in the profession claiming to speak for it – even going so far as to claim to speak on behalf of Science itself – haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory. Just yesterday, I saw a recently released clip (from a little less than two years ago) of one particularly vaunted individual complaining about the reluctance of people in “red states” to follow his instructions – despite the fact that he had just been given an earful from an individual living in inner-city Washington DC, which is bluer than blue – and the need to “break” these people of their resistance.
Now, I won’t deny that this gentleman (although I use the term very loosely, given his attitude toward his supposed inferiors, which appear to be the vast majority of the human race, in his opinion) was much better spoken than his urban interlocutor, who insisted that he did not trust what the good doctor was offering, even if he was to be paid to take it from him. And he showed a considerable amount of restraint in his attempts at persuasion (although his companion in the clip – the mayor herself – was noticeably more contemptuous of her constituent’s reluctance; clearly, she saw no concern in alienating at least this particular voter. After all, in a big city, who else is there to vote for but the machine-installed incumbent? And even if the incumbent is in jeopardy, such as in our own city, what other party is there to support?) until he returned to his car to make his case to yet another reluctant soul, whereupon he mentioned ‘breaking’ the public.
But a clean-cut look and persuasive words don’t guarantee righteousness. Indeed, the clip is remarkable in the fact that, of the two participants in this debate, the low-educated urban dweller (who even admitted his knowledge came from “what I’ve heard”) has proven to have had more of reality on his side than the polished bureaucrat who was making claims to authority. It may not be slapstick, but who’s the real stooge here?
All of this goes through my mind as I stare at the mirror, and try to recall how to assemble a properly crisp Windsor knot. This morning is our online meeting with these folks for whom we might partner to arrange sales and distribution of their recycling products to hospitals and the like, and I honestly feel like an utter fraud. I have no ability when it comes to salesmanship, nor do I foresee any ability to assemble a team of representatives to do so. This may indeed be a better mousetrap, when it comes to clean disposal and efficient reuse of waste, that the country needs, but I don’t see how I fit into the process of spreading that alleged gospel. But I’ve put my foot into it, and I’ve got to see how it’s to play out.
All I can do now is to watch what I say, so that I don’t look too much like the fool I know myself to be. Then again, I wonder how many of us idiots worry that people assume we’re fools for not speaking up and contributing to the conversation, only for us to open our mouths and eliminate all doubt in everyone’s minds.
Keep an eye on me, honey, and wish me luck. Clearly, I’m going to need it.
Letters to Rachel 