Tag: LITTLE ITALY

I REALLY LIKE JARED GOFF, AND I DON’T EVEN KNOW HIM, by Art Smukler, MD, author & psychiatrist

by artsmuklermd, posted in Writing

Jared Goff is a 29 y/o NFL quarterback. In 2016 he was the first pick by the LA Rams, and in 2018 he led them to the Super Bowl. Then after a few disappointing seasons, Sean McVay, the Rams head coach was on board (as far as I know) to trade him to the Detroit Lions. Now two years later, the Lions are at the top of their division, and the Rams are at the bottom of their’s.

It got me thinking about my first day at Penn State when I was scheduled to meet with a guidance counselor.

I entered a small room and Mr. Lancaster, a blond, medium built guy, stood up from behind his little desk. He held out his hand and I shook it. He motioned for me to sit down in one of the two chairs across from him.

“Welcome to Penn State, Arthur,” he said.

“Art. Just Art. Thanks.”

“I was looking over your application and transcript,” he held up a folder. “I see you went to Central High, one of the best schools in Philly.”

I nodded.

“So, what are your interests? Any ideas about choosing a major?”

“Yeah, uh, I was thinking about pre-med.”

He looked back at my folder and scrunched up his face. “You got a D in calculus, a D in chemistry, a C in physics. Excellent grades in everything else.” He sighed. “How about an alternative?”

I shrugged.

“Pre-med at Penn State focuses on the sciences.” He pulled out a curriculum pamphlet. “Four years of chemistry, a year of physics, introductory calculus and advanced calculus, a full year of technical German, genetics, cat anatomy, histology, just to name the basics. Science is your weakest subject.”

I nodded. He was right.

“I’d recommend making another choice. Go for a BA in English or history. Stay away from the sciences.”

“But then I can’t become a doctor.”

“Well, not everyone can be a doctor. Any other questions?” he asked, obviously wrapping up my first, and last, counseling session at PSU.

“Not really,” I answered, left, and walked back to my dorm.

Later that evening it struck me that Lancaster spent a total of maybe ten minutes with me. At least he might have suggested that I take a few science classes and then make a decision as to my future. The next day, as an English Major, I signed up for all the same classes as the pre-meds.

So why didn’t Sean McVay try a little harder with 26 year-old Jarod Goff? Maybe he did? I don’t know. But, no matter what was going on, Jarod found his own way without McVay.

I wish I were 6 inches taller, 80 pounds heavier, and had an arm like a bazooka. I can only imagine the thrill of playing football in front of over 100,00 screaming fans. On the other hand, I wouldn’t relish being pummeled by 300 pound defensive linemen or making an errant pass to an opposing linebacker. Having my neck potentially broken definitely scares me.

My only similarity to Jarod Goff is that neither of us gave up. He became a really good quarterback and I became a really good doctor. Not perfect. But who is?

No matter how old you are, or what you want to accomplish, don’t give up! Don’t let others dictate your future. Of course be reasonable. Mr. Lancaster was right in that not everyone can become a doctor, but he was wrong to assume that I was one of those people. At this moment in time, it seems that McVay was also wrong about Jarod Goff not being good enough to be an LA Ram..

Maybe the people in your life are wrong to assume that you can’t accomplish your dream? Maybe they’re right. That’ll be your call. Whether you take their advice or make your own lonely decision is what growing up is all about, no matter how old you are.

Thank you for reading. Make sure to check out how Joe Belmont and Jake Bennett overcame the adversity in their lives. It might make you smile now that you know a little about the author.

Art

#JarodGoff, #LARAMS, #SeanMcVay, #NFL, #Don’tGiveUp, #PSU, #Premed, #LITTLEITALY, #PATIENTX, #Mysteries

DAM IT! by ART SMUKLER, MD, AUTHOR AND PSYCHIATRIST

by artsmuklermd, posted in Writing

I just read in the LA TIMES that the first of four dams on the West’s Klamath River was destroyed. By the end of 2024 all four will be gone from the California-Oregon border and the massive runs of salmon and steelhead along 400 miles of waterway will be restored. In fact, more than 1600 American dams have been removed since 1912, from California to Connecticut.

So what? you might be thinking. Why is a retired shrink writing about dams? Well, I was lying on the couch in my living room, obviously not the psychiatric one in my former office, when I got really angry. Damn it! How many mistakes have our elected officials made that created chaos and misery?

In LA in the forties and fifties and sixties, it was cheaper to use buses than the existing trolley cars. It would have cost tons of money to upgrade the old rail system. The politicians didn’t have the foresight to predict that an investment in what we already had would be wise. Now we’re playing catch-up with all the other major cities in the world and spending many billions to build a subway and extend a light-rail system.

How about The Community Mental Health debacle? In the sixties, the pitch was that we’d save billions by closing state hospitals, and the mentally ill wouldn’t have to live in the disgusting state hospitals that looked and felt like prisons. I was a great advocate of the new system. In fact, when I started my psychiatric practice near Philly, I worked in a mental health center. It was wonderful. We did home visits and saw the same people who had been locked up in Byberry State Hospital and Philadelphia General Hospital in a homey, pleasant atmosphere. Then the politicians decided to use the mental health money for dozens of other things. Mental health centers closed and the mentally ill became street people, living in tents, urinating and defecating where they lived, and attacking people when voices told them to defend themselves. Predictable? Of course.

Think of the myriad of other mistakes our country made: the Viet Nam War, invading Iraq after 911, being addicted to fossil fuel, allowing everyone to own and carry firearms, the red scare in the sixties and on and on.

Don’t dam it, until someone with perspective examines it. We all need to look beneath the obvious and not blindly follow our leaders.

Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to check out my new books, PATIENT X and LITTLE ITALY. Best Wishes, Art

#authorandpsychiatrist #Damit #PATIENTX #LITTLE ITALY #CommunityMental Health