new friends....

Now that I have some time off to reflect I'm going to start to learn more about the rest of the world. I've spent 30 plus years delving into the science of the body. From cellular physiology to psychology. From traditional western medicine to a more spiritual mind/body energy medicine. It's been an interesting and eclectic ride, but there is just so much more to explore...


When I was in high school I was humbled by a group of folks - I guess we would call them nerds now days but in truth I was intimidated by the literature crowd. According to the dictionary the word nerd refers to a person who passionately pursues intellectual activities, esoteric knowledge, or other obscure interests rather than engaging in more social or popular activities. Hey, if that is true then I was a nerd! It's just that enjoyed a good party every once in a while.

Yet in high school those "nerdy" types scared me with their 40 dollar multi-sylabic words. There were times that I could hold my own especially when history was involved, but when they started to discuss the deeper sides or Shakespeare, Solzhenitsyn, Voltaire or even Vonnegut just about every spincture in my body would pucker up. At the time I didn't feel like I could understand or learn this literature stuff... which is strange because I really do enjoy history and they do seem to go hand in hand.

But I have found that my interest in history and literature has been peeked again. It's really the fault of a 20 something who has quite a knack for explaining history. (Who says an "old man" can't learn at an advanced age!) What she does that is so critically important for my brain is that she has this ability to make the past come alive. I find that a whole new world is opening up to me and a different part of my brain is starting to work. Let me give you an example of how history tickles my fancy.

Sir Francis Bacon, made the ultimate sacrifice - He died in the quest for knowledge, and was for sure a martyr to the cause. I hadn't remembered too much about Bacon from school, except that he's suspected by some to be the "real" Shakespeare.

My guess is that he also wore a huge ruffled collar. And they say blogs aren't informative. Apparently, Bacon, a 17th century intellectual and politician had a troubled public life. He was convicted of taking bribes in 1621 and thrown into the Tower of London. His defense: yes, he took bribes, but they didn't affect his judgement.(And here we thought we had that king of thing cornered in Chicago). As a scholar, he wrote cleverly about language and the philosophy of science.

But my favorite about Bacon, the one that will stick with me, is how he died. It happened in March of 1626, north of London. Bacon was riding along in his horse and carriage when he suddenly decided he needed to know whether snow delays putrefaction. So he abruptly stopped his carriage, hopped out to buy a hen, and stuffed it with snow. Unfortunately, this caused him to be seized with a sudden chill, which brought on bronchitis, and he died soon after at a friends house.

To me this is a Nobel anecdote. Okay, it's a little embarrassing that his death involved frozen poultry. And maybe he displayed a touch of sadism - I'm just hoping the hen wasn't alive when he rammed snow into its gullet. But then there is something great about it. Bacon had such an itch for knowledge, he was so giddy about an idea, that he just went bonkers and bolted out of his carriage. The man couldn't wait another second to find out more about antiputrefaction techniques. I mean seriously, if your are going to give you life for a cause, furtherance of knowledge has got to be in the top two or three.

As opposed to Jeremy Bentham who was a British ethical philosopher who advocated the greatest good for the greatest number of people - died in 1832. After his death, in accordance with his directions his body was dissected in the presence of his friends. The skeleton was then reconstructed, supplied with a wax head to replace the original (which had been mummified), dressed in Bentham's own clothes ans set upright in a glass-fronted case. Both this effigy and the head are preserved in University College, London. I'm not quite sure how this contributes to the greater good of mankind - but I give him props for creepiness!

Hey this history stuff can be fun. And you never know what you might learn. Thanks Ash..
Til next time...