A very dear friend has sent me this message on WhatsApp. It is a tribute from a son to his late father who was a Medical Practitioner. I wish to share it with my readers as, this is an unusual request which touched me deeply as I am sure it will my readers.
“August 1st will mark 8 years since my dad passed away. I still think of him every day.
There are two kinds of intelligence, in my book. One is conventional intelligence, the other is disruptive intelligence. The latter is the kind that changes the world – through a scientific breakthrough, or the development of a new drug or technology.
Baba’s intelligence was the latter – a ferocious, disruptive intelligence, that, combined with his courage, his insistence on questioning everything, integrity, compassion and impish, irreverent sense of humour, made him special.
I haven’t inherited that level of intelligence, but hopefully have inherited some of his other traits.
I always remember how his shoulders shook and his eyes crinkled when he laughed. I remember how when we visited the small town of Almora in the Himalayas on vacation, he would dispense free medical advice and medicines he paid for himself, to dozens of poor villagers who would line up outside my grandfather’s door every morning. He asked for nothing in return. I remember his courage at the end of his life, when he calmly told me he would die that very day, after seeing his own electrocardiogram.
I remember everything. The greatest lesson he taught me was to take nothing at face value, and to investigate everything, and only believe something if it was rooted in fact and backed up by evidence. He was afraid of nothing, and would never back down if he knew he was right about something.
So on August 1st, it would be great if you could take a moment out of your day to remember a remarkable man.
Thank you.”
Very Profound. Thank you for sharing.
Entirely my pleasure Irwin.
thank you for sharing this son’s wonderful tribute to a true Physician.
Entirely my pleasure Tammy.
What a fortunate son to know such a man!
XO
WWW
Indeed. I regret not having met him as I met met friend only after his father had died.
a wonderful sentiment on a man who lived a life with no regrets and passed memories on to his son…
Indeed Catherine. I regret not having met him as I met my friend only after his father had died.
He sounds like a remarkable man. And I agree with his two types of intelligence. Disruptive intelligence can of course also include a new perspective or a new way of thinking.
My friend is a very perceptive person and had noticed such personalities around him. Since he pointed out, I have been seeing such personality differences among my other acquaintances.
“he calmly told me he would die that very day, after seeing his own electrocardiogram.”
I think being a medical professional has to be terrifying sometimes.
That sentence had affected me too in the same way Kylie.
What a lovely tribute to his father. Thanks for sharing.
Entirely my pleasure Joared.