Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Fall 2019 - 4

Editor's CommEnts

"Tomorrow is
Only a Vision"
by Lucy J. Cairns, MD

O

n the glorious early
September morning Berks
County enjoyed yesterday,
I found myself contemplating
the future while perched on the
rocks at Hawk Mountain's North
Lookout. Raptor migration is
just getting started now, and the
northwest wind that creates a handy
updraft for the birds when it strikes
the Blue Mountain was lacking
yesterday, so despite the sunshine
and cool breeze there were few birds and fewer birders on the
mountain in the morning hours. But after I had spent an hour or so
enjoying the view over many miles of woods and fields, a father and
his young son arrived and the boy found a
place to settle down next to me. The boy
whipped out a pair of serious, adult-sized
binoculars and began scanning for birds.
He was clearly familiar with his equipment
and was able to 'get on' most of the birds
that did put in an appearance. His father
began coaching him on how to distinguish
Turkey Vultures from Black Vultures as
examples of these masters of the air soared
above, below and even right at eye level.
During a lull in the action, the boy
and I struck up a brief conversation. I
learned that he was proud to be 5 years old
and big brother to a younger sibling, that
his family includes a rambunctious dog,
and that he received a talking battleship as
a reward for doing his homework and his
chores. Life seems to be pretty sweet for

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him just now, and my own outlook was brightened by encountering
a child so comfortable outside and so happily engaged in observing
and learning about the natural world.
People of all ages reap mental and physical health benefits from
engaging with the nature, so the statistics indicating that the majority
of children now spend almost no time playing outside (not counting
organized sports) are very worrisome. Just as worrisome is the fact
that a generation of people largely insensitive to the value of the
natural world is not so likely to protect and preserve the land, water,
air, flora and fauna whose fates are very much linked to our own.
And in the present, the adults in charge of the world are not doing
what needs to be done right now to ensure that the next generation
will inherit a livable planet to protect. So my encounter with the
young naturalist left me feeling simultaneously more optimistic and
more concerned about the future.
The same mix of contradictory
emotions arises when I contemplate the
future of medical practice. This edition
of Medical Record showcases just a few of
the many technological advances creating
opportunities for improving the health
of our community. The technology that
supports medical care is evolving so rapidly
that we could probably devote every
edition of the magazine to this subject
and never run out of content! The fact
that ever more sophisticated and effective
care is being made available so close to
home is good news indeed, but advanced
techniques and cutting-edge equipment
do no good at all without committed and
caring professionals available to implement
them. Becoming - and staying-a
committed and caring physician has
become increasingly challenging in recent
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Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Fall 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Fall 2019
