Don't Bet on It

If you ever decide to go to the races (horse races), find out which horses the doctors and meteorologists are betting on, and don't bet on them. Despite the conglomeration of plastic, metal, and electronics known as technology at the disposal of each, they often are inept at predicting the weather, a patient's outcome, or the future in general. Place your dollars on another horse.

In addition to learning that doctors and meteorologists are poor predictors of the future, I've also realized that there's a lot of things I don't understand about the future, or the brevity of life, or life in general. I don't understand why a lady would be one moment dying with almost no chance of surviving surgery, and a few hours later be quietly sedated on the vent in ICU. I don't understand why another lady a few weeks before might have been in the same OR undergoing a simple, elective procedure and die of major complications a few days later. I don't understand why a man placed on hospice care with a 3-5 week maximum prognosis to live, 10 weeks later is sitting in bed more concerned about whether or not the mole on his face is cancerous than the fact that he "should" have died 5 weeks ago. I don't understand why a guy can subsist for years on a diet of burgers, ice cream, and cigarettes and suffer with n more medical problems than a few extra pounds and some shortness of breath while a marathon runner with no health problems suddenly dies while out on a morning jog.

I suppose there's a lot in life that doesn't make sense, there must be something bigger than me since despite my knowledge and the available technology I can't even tell what the next day will bring for a patient, prayer changes things, and that all this being realized I shouldn't worry about what might happen and just enjoy whatever does happen today. So I suppose I should live each day as if tomorrow may not come (does this mean I can eat ice cream and brownies everyday and not feel guilty?) and enjoy whatever life brings me at the current moment.

Enjoy today, and don't bet on my horses...

"So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalms 90:12