Since I’ve been “under the weather” lately, I thought of a story having to do with my being sick! I rarely get physically sick (other than every weekday morning before I walk into my office).  I’ve always said that my heart and body are strong; it’s my MIND that’s weak! I “called in sick” this week for the first time in several years. As much as I despise my job, nonetheless, for me to “call in sick”, I have to be just about “1 notch from death”. This is just the way I’ve felt for most of this February week so I took 2 very rare sick days! “Why”, are you thinking, if I despise going to my job so much; don’t I use more sick time even when I could on other occasions and get paid for it? Well, the simple answer is that despite my many faults, I am faithful and loyal. (Hmmm, so are dogs).   Even when I was on active and reserve duty in my Navy days, I rarely went to “sick call.” Maybe one reason for this was when we were kids and got “mildly sick,” our former Marine Uncle Ned would say to us, “Tough it through”.  By apparently either consciously or subconsciously following that advice, both Tim and I have been better off for it, at least in my opinion. During my early college years, I got very sick one time and figured I needed to see a doctor. In addition, I figured I had gotten sick because as the college nurse said, “My resistance is low because of my life-long chronic insomnia.” I figured I’d find a physician to treat my “flu” and my insomnia too. Not being anywhere near home, I checked the phone book under “Physicians” “General Practice” and started making calls for what I figured was just to make an appointment. Being new to the ways of a moderately large city atmosphere, the first doctor’s office I called I was asked by the receptionist if I were a patient. When I said I wasn’t, the response was that Dr. “So and So” was not taking any new patients! I started down the list and kept getting the same response, which was very odd to me! I FINALLY found a physician that took “new patients.” I still remember his name, Dr. Potts. However, it didn’t go as smoothly as it seems. Before I finally found Dr. Potts, I made a very embarrassing error! As I was going down the yellow pages columns under “Physicians,” I must have gotten into the wrong column. I made another of many calls during my search and a receptionist answered, “Dr. _______’s Office.” After MANY calls, by now, I was finally catching on and I ask if this Dr. was accepting new patients. The receptionist said, “YES.” I then was excited that my long search was finally over! I started to give my name for an appointment, and I no sooner had finished with, “My first name is Mike and my last name is spelled “T” as in Tom, “I”, “L”, “L”…” The receptionist interrupted me at that point and in a very exasperated tone asked, “Sirrrr, is this appointment for YOU”? I said, “Yes”! She then told me in a very condescending tone of voice, “Dr. -------- is a Gynecologist, and only sees women!” OOOOPS! I must have gotten in the wrong yellow pages “Physicians” column during my calling. By the tone of her voice, she must have thought I was a real “DUMMY”! I was too embarrassed to explain how my error occurred, so I just meekly said, “Ohhhhh”! And hung up! Ah, yes, another practical lesson from the “University of The Hard Knocks of Life” (which taught me a whole lot more than I ever learned in the Universities I went to and had to pay money to sit in classes)!