Posts by Calvert F Cazier, PhD, MPH
Living Life With Dignity
I met Andy when I moved to a new town for my first job after graduate school. He struggled with many challenges. He had difficulty learning to speak, delays in his physical development and other learning problems. Doctors and other health professionals expected that Andy would likely do poorly in school and be limited…
Read MoreGirl With A Red Dress
Today I was in church and sitting in the pew in front of me was a young couple with four children, three girls and one boy. The youngest was a little girl whom I judged to be about 10 months old. This little girl was wearing a bright red dress, a headband with silver…
Read MoreThe Doctor And The Pigs
On January 2, 1925, Martha Ann Call lay on her bed in a small farmhouse in Wendell, Idaho. She was expecting her fifth child. It was cold outside as well as in the house. The two oldest daughters were sent to get firewood while the two youngest were in bed with her trying to…
Read MorePlease Grandma! I Promise!
(Part 2 of 3) It was a hot summer afternoon in Afton, Wyoming when my cousins invited me to go swimming in the ditch behind our grandparents’ home. I still had the cast on my arm but I begged and pleaded with grandma to let me swim. I promised to keep my cast dry…
Read MoreThe Boy From Indonesia
When I was in junior high Roy and his family moved into my neighborhood. They were immigrants from Indonesia and didn’t speak English. Roy was a fun guy with a great personality, a smile that was always present, and a desire to fit in with his new American friends. Culturally he was out of…
Read MoreLife As A Worm
Several years ago as I was walking home from work I happened to notice a worm in the gutter and it intrigued me so much that I must have stood there watching it for at least five minutes. At first I thought it was such a stupid worm that it couldn’t tell its head…
Read MorePower of Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
As teenagers, my sisters and I had friends over most Sunday evenings. After awhile we didn’t have to invite them because they knew there was an open door policy. Our parents approved and encouraged it. These gatherings were relaxing, enjoyable, and unpredictable. They came to eat, watch TV, visit, or play games. The menu…
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