Posts by Calvert F Cazier, PhD, MPH
If You Think You Are Beaten, You Are
Looking through some of my father’s memorabilia, I found a journal he wrote as a young man living in California. I hadn’t known that he ever kept a journal, but in it I found the poem below. It is quite a famous poem written by Walter D. Wintle sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century.…
Read MoreLessons from a Squirrel
A few days ago, Anne and I drove up the canyon to get away from the city and enjoy some time alone, some peace in nature, and the beautiful weather. We packed a few snacks to enjoy as we hiked along a well-worn trail. We passed through several picnic areas and chose one that…
Read MoreIt seemed like a good idea
Decisions, decisions, decisions
It was nearly 50 years ago when Van moved to the small town where I was living and working. His small apartment was close to my home, and he attended the same church that my family and I attended, and I developed a friendship with him. We were about the same age, so it was…
Read MoreThat Darn Hawk
Nearly 60 years ago Alfred Hitchcock made a horror-thriller simply titled, “The Birds.” It was a frightening movie for the time, about flocks of birds (ravens, seagulls, crows, and sparrows) who attack random people in Bodega Bay, a small town in California. Minor dive bombings escalated to fierce attacks, with birds taking chunks out of…
Read MoreThe Big Race
We are all familiar with Aesop Fables and the famous race between the tortoise and the hare. It’s not hard to see the advantages and challenges of both the hare and the tortoise, yet if the race were held today, in all honesty most bets would still be placed on the hare. I can picture…
Read MoreMy Hillbilly Hat
The memory of this day remains embedded deep in my brain. It was the summer of 1969, I was engaged to Carol Sorensen, and we decided to go rabbit hunting with my good friend Bill, my sister Connie, and her date (I lined her up). I was wearing an old felt hillbilly hat that I…
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