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I seem to spend many hours doing ‘nothing’ unless you count reading books, but even so they often seem to come to ‘nothing’ because they turn out to be irrelevant but good, or worse still, bad but irrelevant. Then some are irrelevant but interesting. A few are irrelevant, uninteresting and bad, and they are usually compulsory reading. I hope this is not your fate though I must say that the time I spent in France as a ‘student’ was utterly wasted by me. But probably it was because I was not happy at that time, wondering – as I still am – how on earth to earn enough money. But I have at least the consolation of feeling there is nothing more likely to make it possible than knowing one's job. The snag is that one never seems to feel one knows one's job. Luckily, if you have the guts to dare to believe it, enjoying one's job is a very good indicator.
When I was in Tours about 1921, I went into a bookshop and Anatole France was sitting in a chair in the corner. A Frenchman came in, looked at him and tapped his own forehead in a knowing way. Indicating Anatole France, he said to the shopkeeper, “Voila un type idiot!” and walked out. France was amused – but not I think flattered!
In a fortnight we leave for Brazil. The work will be a change though I find myself wondering what on earth I shall have to tell them. One day I shall stand in front of my audience and goggle at them helplessly – lecturer's nightmare – especially since I always leave it till the occasion to say what I am going to say instead of preparing. Once I was told I sounded unprepared, to which I replied, “That's .quite true – if you leave out the preceding 70 years”.
Never lose the flair for coping with
not enough time
not enough knowledge
not the proper conditions
sick and disturbed patients and sick and disturbed doctors, chiefs and colleagues as well.
All these four are essential ingredients if you are having real medicine in real life, and to hell with what the text books say it is. Incidentally
I see some b