I have a small place near the mountains of Maine where I go to escape. There is no TV reception or computer and it is really relaxing. Even the cell phone doesn't work much. I do have DVDs for classic movies, however, and it is great to show my kids some of the pictures I enjoyed growing up. One of them, Field of Dreams, still holds its own and even my children love it. To me, the story of Archibold Graham is the story of medicine and the answer to saving our healthcare system. He chooses medicine over his baseball career to save a little child choking on a piece of food; similar to how he chose being a doctor to save a community. His calm demeanor and ability to do-it-all reinforces my desire to be a family doctor as well. The movie is filled with weird coincidences and signs as the main characters pick up the young Archie Graham and take him to the Field of Dreams.
In a weird twist of fate, as I was getting out of my car recently at the little local pool of this small community(maybe 15 people were there), I ran into the actor who played Archie Graham in the movie. His name is Frank Whaley and we basically bumped into each other as I was taking my daughter to the pool. I struck up a quick conversation about the premature death of director and writer John Hughes who had written the first breakout movie that Whaley was in. I didn't bring up Field of Dreams or baseball or winking at the pitcher but I wish I had. Now I just keep thinking that maybe meeting young Archie Graham was a sign for me to embrace the profession of family medicine even more. Or, maybe, I had a bad piece of food last night and I am delusional as I right this.
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