Heroes Not Zombies

I saw this leaf spinning around in space and was astonished. How can a leaf hover like that? When I looked more closely I saw the missing piece….a fine, almost invisible thread connecting the leaf to another one which was still attached to the tree.

I suppose the closer inspection was a revelation. Suddenly I understood. But didn’t that revelation take the magic away? Because up to that point I was watching a leaf spinning on the spot in mid air. In fact it wasn’t magic. There was a thread.

But you know, discovering that didn’t take away the “magic” for me. Because isn’t this amazing and beautiful? A leaf spinning around attached by a single strand (probably from a spiderweb).

We humans love mysteries, but we love to solve them too.

I think that was a big part of my work as a doctor – the delight in unraveling mysteries, making sense of patients experiences. Time and time again making a diagnosis brought huge relief to people. A diagnosis, really, is an understanding, but it often seems to be a revelation.

Once we understand, once we see more clearly, mystery is transformed into discovery. And that’s pretty amazing.