Four Prompts On Death

Ayden LeRoux! Ayden is a 29yo artist, writer, and BRCA1+ human. I’ve known Ayden since my grade school days where we won a swing dancing competition together and we haven’t spoken for almost half a decade, this interview served a chance to catch up and see where life has taken us. During this conversation, we discuss the intertwining of science and magic to predict her future health, Land Art installations as spirituality, and how a partner changes our plans for death.

I hope you enjoy!

Eric Garza is a 41yo professor, hunter, and suicide survivor. I met Eric online through primitive skills and ancestral plant groups, and his podcast A Worldview Apart caught my interest for his unique decolonization perspective. He speaks like a professor and as you’ll learn during this interview, has many diverse interests and skills from bow-making to inner tracking.

During this conversation, we discuss hunting as connection to landscape, pushing ourselves to take the shot and learn the skills, and the near death experience of his suicide attempt.

I hope you enjoy!

Kristin Clague Reihman! Kristin is a 47yo physician, healer, and mother. She serves as a coach for students in my medical school program, and that’s how I met her during first year. I’ve been looking forward to this conversation, which we recorded in the room she birthed her fourth child. In this interview, we discuss the death of her mother when she was eighteen, her own near death experience fraught with pain, and how her spirituality is connecting with others.

I hope you enjoy!

Michael Caron! Michael is a 40yo father, coach, and motivator. I met Michael while at a yoga teacher training and we have kept in touch ever since. I chose this time to interview him because of the recent birth of his son, Stadler, who was 1mo old at the time.

We dive deep into one of the hardest months of his life, with the death of a life-long friend as a result of brain cancer and the loss of his matriarch grandmother. He read the eulogy at both services and I’m sure the stories will leave an impression on you, like they did me.

Additionally during this energizing conversation, we discuss his formative years through a semester at sea, the wonder of being a new father while being present for a stepdaughter, and his philosophy on leadership and self-development.

I hope you enjoy!

Caroline Wilson! Caroline is a 19yo college student, positive human, and survivor of a traumatic brain injury. I met Caroline while coaching crew in New Hampshire for Great Bay Rowing, and she served as a right-hand coxswain for the team. During one of our dryland practices, she fell and hit her head on cement. This caused a 2wk-long Elmer Fudd stutter and a long road to recovery. Luckily, she had her grandmother nearby, who underwent chemotherapy at the time.

In this lovely conversation, we discuss the plastic nature of memories especially when you have impaired long-term memory, how a positive reframe of a situation can change your outlook on life, and the nature of social crutches and how they help us function.

I hope you enjoy!

Chris! Chris is a 38yo future family man, survivor, and question mark. When I moved to Coopersburg, the first person I met would later shoot Chris five times. He survived the wounds to his leg, arm, and head and six months out, he is well on his way to a full physical recovery.

During this conversation, we discuss the mental and emotional recovery from such a traumatic experience. We talk about his feelings towards his uncle, the shooter. And most of all, we ruminate on this opportunity to change, the shift in perspective after a brush with death, and how he plans to move forward with his life.

I hope you enjoy! :)

Aleks Bacewicz! Aleks is a 28yo fourth year medical student, future psychiatrist, and dancer. I rotated through Consult Liaison Psychiatry with her and we both grappled with a difficult case (20171008 - On "Jim"). During this conversation, we discuss her Polish heritage, her love of pole, and her restorative Sunday practices.
 

I hope you enjoy!

#LongFormSundays!

This week, I reflect on the end of my neuro/psych rotation, a visit from my brother, an afternoon nap with two little dogs, and a pre-test existential crisis. The long weekend provided both a much-needed break and a chance to evaluate some previous decisions.

I don't have any major life changes to report, yet. That may change as 2017 draws to a close.

I hope you enjoy!

Yehia Mishriki! Yehia is a 63yo physician, Christian, and father. I met Dr. Mishriki during my Internal Medicine rotations and I have been quietly dogging him ever since to sit down for a conversation. And it has been worth the wait.

We discussed how his life changed over four hours: becoming a widower 28yrs ago during the birth of his second daughter. We explore his Christian faith and how his belief in perfect love helped him through the challenges of his life. And we even cover Star Trek, Near Death Experiences, and a quantum physics explanation for the existence of God.

I hope you enjoy!