“In that first year, I would glimpse my share of death. I sometimes saw it while peeking around corners, other times while feeling embarrassed to be caught in the same room.” ~ excerpt from Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air In his last year of training to become a neurosurgeon, Dr. Paul Kalanithi is diagnosed …Read More
Author: Dr. Joel Ying, MD
Physician-Educator-Storyteller. Integrating the power of story into medicine, healing sessions, workshops, speaking and performance.
Story: Never Forget – Unknown Soldier
Unsure of how to proceed, the young soldier prayed silently while he continued to pace. As if summoned by some invisible force, he homed in on one of the flag-swathed caskets. “I know this man,” he thought. His arms seemed to move of their own accord, placing the roses he held atop the coffin. ~ …Read More
I’m a ROCK star!
“I’ve got a teaching position for you.” Dr. Maria Roca, PhD, is the Director of the Roots of Compassion and Kindness (ROCK) Center at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) in Fort Myers, Florida. Launched in 2020, ROCK promotes compassion, kindness, and empathy through education, action, and research. One important project of the center is teaching …Read More
Immigrant Picnic ~ Gregory Djanikian
Immigrant Picnic ~ By Gregory Djanikian It’s the Fourth of July, the flags are painting the town, the plastic forks and knives are laid out like a parade. And I’m grilling, I’ve got my apron, I’ve got potato salad, macaroni, relish, I’ve got a hat shaped like the state of Pennsylvania. I ask my father …Read More
The Night Has a Thousand Eyes
The Night Has A Thousand Eyes ~ by Francis William Bourdillon The night has a thousand eyes, And the day but one; Yet the light of the bright world dies With the dying sun. The mind has a thousand eyes, And the heart but one: Yet the light of a whole life dies When love …Read More
Fabry Disease ~ Slow Down
I shook the officer’s hand, and he let me go with a warning. Almost 20 years ago, I was driving through the beautiful state of Idaho. I was working there temporarily and exploring the parks and cities within several hours by car. I spent many weekends at Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. …Read More
Human Library, check out a person
“The Human Library® creates a safe space for dialogue where topics are discussed openly between our human books and their readers.” ~ HumanLibrary.org At the Human Library®, people are published in 30-minute conversations. Anders Fransen suffers from a rare genetic condition and is published under the titles, “Deaf Blind” and “Rare Handicap.” He explains his …Read More
Gossip at The Moth
“I think you got the lowest score,” said my dad. I went to The Moth StorySlam event in Miami on May 31st, 2023, where the theme was “GOSSIP.” As you would expect, the stories were juicy. In a city that is about 70% Hispanic, the Venezuelan emcee was the first to tell you that here …Read More
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park ~ Lighthouse Keeper
“I’ve always wanted to be a lighthouse keeper,” said the vibrant volunteer tour guide, “It’s not quite the same, but this job has perks. I have keys to the lighthouse.” This past weekend, I visited Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida. They have daily tours of the lighthouse at 10am and …Read More
Fish School
Mornings at the beach in Southwest Florida are calm and serene. The Gulf of Mexico has fewer waves before the sun wakes up, and more importantly there are fewer people. Unless there is a storm coming, the air and the water are calm and almost still. Many years ago, I walked the beach as my …Read More