Robert Hogue, MD, TAFP President

The Whole is the Sum of its Parts
Have you heard the one about the 
donkey that fell into the well?

By the time this article goes to print, the main legislative session will be over and a special session will be underway. Other articles in this magazine will address some of the battles we have fought and successes we have won. I want to take this opportunity to say a special thanks to all of our staff and members who have spent countless hours and much energy trying to improve the working environment of our membership. Tom Banning has been our constant voice and advocate in this legislative session. He has also done an outstanding job keeping your leadership informed about all of the issues and events. The Executive Committee as well as Roland Goertz, M.D., and Russell Thomas, D.O., have been diligently working on your behalf. The willingness of all of these individuals to make calls, go to Austin and testify or speak with legislators and participate on frequent conference calls has demonstrated the commitment that each has to not only to our members and their practices but to all of our patients. The support staff at our Academy headquarters has also been working extremely hard on your behalf. You can be proud of all of our staff and their faithful support of our Academy.

Together we will always be able to accomplish more than by ourselves. It reminds me of the story about the body parts that argued about which was more important.

One day all the organs of the body were having a meeting, trying to decide which was in charge. “I should be in charge,” said the brain, because I run all the body’s systems, so without me nothing would happen.”

“I should be in charge,” said the blood, “because I circulate oxygen all over, so without me you’d all waste away.”

“I should be in charge,” said the stomach, “because I process food and give all of you energy.”

“I should be in charge,” said the legs, “because I carry the body wherever it needs to go.”

“I should be in charge,” said the eyes, “because I allow the body to see where it goes.”

“I should be in charge,” said the rectum, “because I’m responsible for waste removal.” All the other body parts laughed at the rectum and insulted him, so in a huff, he shut down tight. Within a few days, the brain had a terrible headache, the stomach was bloated, the legs got wobbly, the eyes got watery and the blood was toxic. They all decided that the rectum should be the boss.

While some may say that the moral of the story is that the one in charge may be the stinky one, or that the boss is a you-know-what, I would rather assert that without each one doing his or her part, the entire system is a wreck. Regardless of who may actually be in leadership at a particular time, it is the work of all of our members that makes our Academy a success. Please plan to be a meaningful part of the efforts of your specialty society as we try to make our work environment a place where we can better serve our patients.

There will always be times when it seems that life is sending us more that we can manage. Perhaps we should take a lesson from the donkey that fell into the well.

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway. It just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey. So he invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down. Several shovel loads later, the farmer looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to “getting out of the well” is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up. Shake it off and take a step up!

Keep looking up, not down. Expect success. Let us be winners and not losers as we create our future and ensure a bright place for those who are to come after us.

The winner stays on his toes and forges ahead. The loser drags his heel and falls behind.

The winner puts out and works up. The loser tires out and gives up.

The winner has a reason for every triumph. The loser has an excuse for every defeat.

The winner asks, “May I help?” The loser asks, “Do you expect me to do that?”

The winner says, “Let me do that for you.” The loser says, “That’s not my job.”

The winner says, “It may be difficult, but it is possible.” The loser says, “It may be possible, but it is much too difficult.”

The winner salutes the day with enthusiasm. The loser faces the day with cynicism.

The winner wears a smile on his face. The loser carries a chip on his shoulder.

The winner sees an answer for every problem. The loser sees a problem in every answer.

As family doctors, we are what it’s all about — people helping and serving people.

So as we work individually to make a strong team, remember what Edward Everett Hale once said,

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the one thing that I can do.”

Thank you for the privilege to have served as your president. May God bless you all.