My father opened many of his speeches, including his 1993 EKU Commencement address, with a version of the following, which he entitled "Bedrock." (copies of these and other speeches are found in the portion of this site devoted to Dad's writings).

"Each Sunday morning I stand in the pew at my church, as I have done for more than 25 years and, along with other members of the congregation, recite the Apostle's Creed.  It is an affirmation of faith....it rekindles in our minds, to the extent that rekindling may be necessary, our basic beliefs.  It is not bound to time, to place, to age, to economic conditions good or bad, to times of turbulence or times of tranquility.  It is not remolded, like a piece of clay, to accommodate the bent of whatever political party may be in control in a given year.  Rather, it provides an unshakable foundation for those of who are members of this church basic beliefs from which we are not about to depart."

This served as a preamble to stating that we must all be aware of what we believe; we must stay true to some core of beliefs if we are to have credibility.  Some beliefs and positions may be malleable, but underneath, there must be bedrock--those beliefs on which everything else is built upon.  This was/is true for institutions and for individuals.  If one of the purposes of this blog is to express my     thoughts and opinions, it is reasonable that I must first define my personal bedrock.  With deference to my father, as I celebrate this July 4th, I will begin to define my personal "Bedrock."

So where to begin such a process...defining the core foundations of ones beliefs...the principles upon which the majority of my thoughts and decisions should exemplify.  Certainly it isn't reasonable to think that anyone will have 100% compliance between stated beliefs and words/actions...but there should be some fundamentals that define us..if not, we leave it simply to others to define us.  So let's begin at the beginning...where do I believe I came from?

Simple enough place to start as there is no doubt in my mind.  I was created by our Father and given life by my parents.  In other words, I believe in God, the God of Abraham and the Old Testament.  We will get to my belief in His Son later, for now, let's just be clear.  God created me.  But let's back it up a bit--God created EVERYTHING.  How?  I have absolutely no idea, nor do I care.  Is the Big Bang theory correct?  Again, I have no idea, but some pretty smart people think so; and I'm perfectly fine not knowing.  Basically there are only two options.  Option 1.  God created everything, and he didn't tell us how he did it (like we would understand).  Option 2.  The world somehow came into existence without God; if this is the case, then what I think /do really doesn't matter, and it based on "spontaneous" matter/energy...which oh by the way, the scientists tell us that energy cannot be created or destroyed, so when you chase this back to the "Big Bang," we are left with the unanswered question of "where did the energy/matter come from?"   I choose to believe the opening words of the Bible:  "In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth."  No one can know the truth.  God did not give the blueprints to anyone.  I do not believe that the world was literally created from start to finish in 144 hours; the physical evidence is far too convincing otherwise.  Nor do I believe that all life came from Adam and Eve; the creation story is unimportant if you don't believe in God; if you (as do I) do, then what really matters is that we WERE created.  I can imagine no celestial scorecard where my solving the origin of my existence, were it not from God, matters.

A bit on Natural Selection.  I remember vividly reading in my 9th grade biology text the theories around evolution...the studies that disproved "spontaneous generation" (though I would like to know where the fruit flies are BEFORE I leave a banana peel in my truck) and then the great dissertation on the "origin of life."  Some 40 years later, here's what I remember was told to us....in the ocean there were all these different chemicals, and somehow, the chemicals, when combined with energy (like electricity from lightning), could form amino acids...from there the amino acids could form proteins which as we all "know" are the "building blocks" of life.  Problem is, you can buy a jar of amino acids and I assure you it won't morph into a one cell organism.  What no scientist has ever been able to demonstrate is that from non-living substances (not DNA), that life can be created...Never done, never will be.  Despite all of our technology, knowledge, and labs, no lab has every been able to create ANYTHING that was alive using only "chemicals"...DNA splicing into microbes (living) doesn't count.  Yet we are asked to believe that this "simply" happened.  Okay...let's suppose it did.  Then we are supposed to believe that from that one celled whatever, over time, we evolved into present man.  Without a doubt, there have been many variations of man...the anthropologists have demonstrated this clearly..again, I don't have any doubt about this...just don't think it means that God wasn't behind the whole thing.  As for Darwin and "natural selection"---it's eloquent and all that, and there may be some parts of it that are applicable, but I cannot believe that something as magical as the human brain evolved from a one celled something-or-other, simply by selection pressure.  Doesn't make sense.  And the more we learn of the human body and the miracles of our making, the less we understand and the less probable, in my mind, that the eloquent physiologic orchestra is random...because experience, both real life and science, tells us otherwise.  If we accept that the world is to some degree ordered, doesn't it follow that there is an "orderer" (God)?  I have read some of the "Intelligent Design" literature and find it interesting.  The reality is that we simply can not know from whence we came....was it from that "primordial soup?"  If so, I believe God was and still is in the kitchen.  The longer I live, the more I experience, including in my field of emergency medicine, the more I am convinced that our existence is much more than "natural selection"....it is HIS selection.  So, as I explore my thoughts and beliefs, we begin with my father's bedrock...the Apostle's Creed....."I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord."

I was born nearly 55 years ago in a wonderful town to unbelievable parents.  Though my father received most of the attention and recognition, it was my mother who was without a doubt the glue which held our family together.  And while my experience (and my sisters') may have been particularly special, in the final analysis, my mother didn't love me any more than nearly all mothers love their children.  It is common on mother's day to write of the great things your mother did, and I certainly could do just that.  In fact, these feelings are captured in an essay I wrote many years ago which is at the end of this essay.  But suffice it to say that I had an incredible mother and that has had more to do with my success, probably, than any single item.

Early in my career as a pediatrician I remember reading an article on the prognosis for children with Down Syndrome.  It turns out that, at least in this study, the SINGLE MOST predictive factor for how a child with Down Syndrome would do was the level of maternal education.  The more educated the mother, the better the child would do (cognitively).  I'm not sure if future studies have borne this out or not, but a few words on this are needed.  You see, the education of the mother is only part of the story, because simply having an advanced degree does miraculously change the fate of the child.  But, it does increase the chance that you will be married, will live in a higher socio-economic class, have insurance, access to care and services, and in my opinion, though not addressed in this study, be ABLE to stay at home.  My mother had a college degree; in fact she was the first WOMAN from her high school (Bourbon County High), to graduate from college (or so the story goes, I cannot verify this but that is what I was told).  Mom's degree was in home economics...a desperately needed skill set in today's frantic world.  She could have worked, but chose to stay home and raise my sisters and me.  Make no mistake about it, I am all for women working if they choose, and should they choose to work, they must be treated equally and fairly in the workplace.  But guess what?  It's okay to NOT work, if you have the resources.  One of the happiest days of my life was when Sharon asked me to meet her for dinner at a small Greek restaurant near one the hospitals I staff.  Halfway through dinner, she told me she wanted to quit her job and raise our family!  Sharon was/is a highly skilled nurse and administrator and was being paid quite well.  Had she continued working, our finances might be different....our children would absolutely be different.  And before anyone gets upset with me, I absolutely know, understand, and respect why many women work.  Some must; some choose to; some want to...each is fine.  I have so much respect and admiration for women who work and many of them pull amazing feats of time management.   My mother and my wife chose (because it was an option) to not work and to concentrate solely on raising the family.  Other models are successful for other women/families; I write of only that which I have lived.

I have watched so many wonderful mothers in my life....not only those in my world, including my sisters and extended families, but also those of my patients.  I have watched mothers bring children into the world and have unfortunately been there when mother's say good bye to their child and hold them for the last time.  I have seen pretty much everything in between the Alpha and the Omega of life.  I have cared for children born into unbelievable wealth and unthinkable poverty.  The one thing that remains constant is the unmatched love for a mother for her child.  We men may think we know something about love, but women know this at an unapproachable level.  To all the Mothers, those near, far, here, and departed, for all they have done to make this a better world, I give you my sincerest thanks. Whatever hope the future has will find its seeds in the mother's love.

 

I wrote the following piece for Mother's Day, 2003.  Little did I know that it would be the last Mother's Day that Mom would have with Dad...just a few weeks later we all gathered for their 50th wedding anniversary; a short 8 months later Dad was gone.  It remains one of my favorite essays, because the subject, my mother, both literally and figuratively created my world, and for that I am eternally grateful.  I miss her more than I ever  thought possible, but she lives on in so many wonderful ways.  Love you Mom.  Johnny

Embryonics

John D. Rowlett, MD (Johnny)

2003

Their beginning was simple enough; a few cells migrate, divide, divide again, organize, migrate, and divide— all to the silent beat of a predetermined embryonic code.  At birth they were inevitably counted, inspected, and gently washed.  Early they held fingers, bottles, crackers and the best donuts the world has ever known.  As they grew, the objects of infants and toddlers were replaced by kittens and trees, by friends and adventures.  They guided pencils and scissors and led the journey of a vast new world.  And what a world—it was one of success as a daughter and sister, as a student and friend. 

When finally she left home, they carried the reminders that would accompany her next.  They held books, bolts of cloth, and finally, him.  Though perhaps they once held another, it was he whom they have held for nearly fifty years.

In time, there were children of her own requiring a whole new set of tasks.  These faithful companions found dishes and diapers, laundry and love.  They were baseball pitchers, dress and costume makers, butchers, bakers, and even candlestick makers.  They were homework helpers, runaway dog catchers, and most of all, friends.  When my the world grew harsh or cold, it was they who kept me warm and protected.  When I cried, they held me; when I was ill they cared for me.  They were always there, not just for me, but seemingly for all those in need.

They’ve grown much older.  The  encasing skin is wrinkled, the once limber joints now occasionally sluggish.  But grandchildren, including the one who calls me “Daddy my Daddy,” flock to them as if they held the answers to the world.  And I guess they do.  They have not lost their magic; they hold these children with the same gentleness as those preceding.

I’m grown now, at least physically.  Perhaps I am successful, but if so, that which I have accomplished is only because of the world they helped shepherd; my shortcomings are of my own doing.  Though they began so simply, these once tiny cells have anchored my world and though weakened by the years, they remain the bedrock of all those held.  And when my world gets a bit too hectic, when paths seem misguided and purposes unclear, I can, even though she is far away, still seek solace in the loving embrace of my mother’s arms.

This is the first post on my new blog.  The blog is very much a work in progress and is really not where I thought it would be at this point; it's getting close but certainly not fully developed; most of the links are functional but some are empty.  That being said, I wanted my first post to be about something special, and certainly Mother's Day fits the bill.  But first, a bit about the concept of the blog/webpage. 

Throughout the Bible, "Forty" is a common unit of time....forty days of rain for Noah, forty years of wandering in the desert for Abraham, forty days of fasting for Jesus.  As a part of my Lenten introspection, it occurred to me that I could use this unit of "forty" to manage my days, weeks, months, and years.  Focus on Forty represents my start at this effort.  Quite simply, I believe that by breaking my world into units of forty, I can better manage my time.

Forty Minutes:  What do I need to accomplish RIGHT NOW?  This represents the immediate priority in my world...a sustainable amount of time for staying focused.

Forty Hours:  What is really pressing in my world...I have two days to accomplish this...what demands my attention Today and Tomorrow....a short work list of priorities.

Forty Days:   The near future...just shy of 6 weeks... In forty days, if focused, a person can accomplish so many things...organizational, professional, personal, spiritual.  And by working hard on a concept or project for 40 days, true behavior changes will happen...old habits can be replaced with new habits.

Forty Weeks:  Not quite a year, but enough time to create and birth a human being so big ideas can be brought to fruition in forty weeks.  If you can't stay focused on your goal for forty weeks, you are not likely to be successful.  One can easily make significant personal, academic, spiritual, cultural, and societal changes in forty weeks.

Forty Months:  Maybe the most critical unit of time, as it helps direct our immediate, short-term, and mid-range plans.  Slightly less time than the US involvement in WW II, 40 months is enough time to graduate college if you work hard, to conceive, create, and complete most plans, and to substantially change both your and your world's perception and reality.

Forty Years:  Okay, so this is a bit of a stretch, but we need long range plans too..not just forty months, but substantially longer.  As I compose this, I am not quite 55.  Do I have 40 years left...depends on many things, most of which I don't control.  But my grandfathers made it with sharp minds till nearly 90 and my mother's aunt Gigi was 102 or so when she died (and quite sharp).  So I am going to live like I am going to live a long time...plan, prepare, and partake...I like that...plan, prepare, and partake....sounds like a future essay.  I don't want to run out of ideas and dreams before I run out of heartbeats...we are what is in front of us...that which we are chasing/pursuing.  So my forty year plan will include finishing a wonderful career, enjoying a wonderful family and retirement, and someday my friends and family will be able to celebrate the then concluded wonderful life with which I have been so richly blessed. 

Those of you who knew my father know that I, at least physically, bear a pretty strong resemblance.  Dad loved to write and among my Earthly treasures none are more valued than the letters he penned.  I have tried to write my children, but as Olivia told me just this morning, "I have to give it to Mom to translate."   Inasmuch as there is no chance that my handwriting will improve, it seemed that this was an appropriate medium.  My goal, personally, for the blog is to post my thoughts and recollections for my family.  It will be an open site (though comments have been suppressed on the blog, the email is active).  Facebook has been an interesting experience but so much of the content is mundane and/or dribble and I get tired of sorting the wheat and chaff.  Some of the essays will be linked to Facebook but most will simply  be on the site.  I have also included many inspirational writings, scripture, and recipes.  On this site you can find among other things my father's handwritten chili recipe and my sister's final opus, a 700 page cookbook.  While refinements are forthcoming, these are functional.  This website exists for me and my family and I offer the opinions for exactly what they cost the viewer:  NOTHING.  I will speak my mind and should something offend you, 1) I'm sorry and 2) go somewhere else.

Okay, that being said, on this, Mother's Day 2015, to the honor of she who bore me and HE who created me, FocusForForty is now going live.