World Peace, a Blind Wife, and Gecko Tails

What's the Book All About (The Back Cover)

2008-03-11T10:29:00.005+10:00

Award-winning columnist and South Pacific eye surgeon, David Khorram, brings together the most popular pieces from his Saipan Tribune column, Better Living. Whether exploring the spiritual side of prosperity, describing the raw joy of someone regaining sight, or recounting the humor of an island phone call, Dr. Khorram manages to reach the mind, the heart and the funny-bone. With this book in hand, expect to laugh out loud and to ponder life's big questions.

"I use this book, along with Tuesday's with Morrie, to give my students something meaningful to read."

Kirk Johnson, PhD, University of Guam

"Intelligent, compassionate, thoughtful and wise, David brings gentle humor to higher thinking. A joy to read, his insights offer a rich model for living well."

Senator Maria Frica T. Pangelinan
15th Northern Marianas Legislature

"Somewhere inside David Khorram's head, three wise men have collided with the Three Stooges."

Lt Cmdr Randy Clark, retired
United States Coast Guard

"Dr. Khorram shares glimpses of life that bemuse and inspire. This delightful medley entertains us while opening our eyes to the bigger picture of what it means to be human."

Daniel Lamar, MD

"Consider this the Chicken Soup for the Soul of Micronesia."

Bob Coldeen, Author of Bumps in Paradise

DAVID KHORRAM, MD. As a young eye surgeon, Dr. David Khorram left the offers awaiting him in American's leading medical centers, and boarded a plane for the South Pacific, never to return. Starting in exotic Pago Pago, David has traveled, worked and lectured in villages, hospitals and huts throughout the Pacific. As a writer, he is the recipient of a Governor's Humanities Award. The founder of Marianas Eye Institute, Dr. Khorram is listed in Guide to America's Top Ophthalmologists. David, his wife Mara, and their four energetic children live on the island of Saipan, in the Marianas archipelago.

CONTENTS
An Easy Way to Happiness
A Typhoon Called Diabetes
Tsunamis and the Mariana Islands
Reality: Material or Spiritual?
Prosperity: More than the Economy
Touch the Heart of an Artist
The Inconvenience of Peace
A First Essential of Peaceful Relationships
Look in the Mirror
Benefiting from Life’s Tests
Truthfulness: The Foundation
Deviant Behaviors
Medically Underserved
Race, Ethnicity and Medicine
Medical Education
What is Your Destiny?
Seven Reasons Not to Mess with a Child
A New Kind of Election
If You and I Meet on New Year’s Eve
Successful Weight Loss
Sweet Sight
Religious Superiority
A Sneaky Thief
Putting Winning Aside
Secondhand Pee
Fight Back
I ♥ Heroin
Organic Smoke (and Mirrors)
Fighting Rising Crime
Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers
Beautify CNMI and Hope
Thanksgiving Diet
The Next 100 Years
The Relationship Between Moral Health and a Blind Wife
Time Slowed Down
Saipan Dining Adventures
Thoughts of a Father
Reading Deprivation
Pleasantly Out of the Loop
Revolutionary New Treatment for Diabetes
My Grandma Banoo & Her Yogurt
How to Eat Out with Kids and Keep Your Dignity
The Community’s Untapped Resource
Where Do You Live?
The Golden Rule
Work Ethic
Smiley Eels and Boonie Dogs
The Tide
Sex, Cancer Vaccines and Restraint
Magic and Medicine
Gross National Happiness
Gecko Tails

Acclaim for this Book
Foreword - Kirk Johnson, PhD
Introduction - David Khorram

Foreword

2008-03-11T09:26:00.003+10:00

I often start my Monday mornings sitting in my office sipping my coffee, looking out over the bay and across the deep blue waters of the Pacific. I eagerly click my mouse, hoping my friend from across the waves has found the time to write another column. I am always amazed that he somehow finds the time in a schedule filled with chasing after four young kids, running an eye clinic, opening a new school, playing soccer and all the other incredible things this guy fills his week with. Where does he find the time? But thank God he does. His email arrives and my week is now transformed. I immediately forward it to my sociology students at the University of Guam. I ask them to read it and to come prepared to discuss it in class. The issues are so local, yet so universal. The ideas cut to the core of our collective mindset, and make us laugh, cry and sigh. We often carry them into our conversations and our lives.

I first met Dr. David Khorram when my wife and I moved to Guam a decade ago. I was fresh out of graduate school and full of excitement and wonder. Earning my doctorate in sociology from McGill University in frigid Montreal, Guam appeared to be the farthest point on the globe. Deep in my soul I wanted to live a life that counted; to make a difference in whatever way I could. And so my life began on these beautiful islands teaching at a university filled with students who shared my excitement. David moved to the Pacific some years before I did. He lived and worked in Samoa where he met his wife, Mara. They moved to Saipan in the 1990’s and opened an eye clinic by the beach. Soon David was well known among the people, and he found time to travel in the region for work and service. I met him while on one of his visits to our island and we immediately became fast friends.

Since that first day I met David, I have grown to respect and admire him greatly. Through his humor and insight, people’s minds and spirits are transformed. The columns that he has selected for inclusion in this book are as diverse as the coral reefs that surround us. Flipping through them I am drawn again to the story of how David brought sight to a man who had battled cataracts for years. As David completes the surgery and moves the operating microscope, the man screams, “I can see, I can see.” Being an eye surgeon, David tells us that he sometimes forgets how meaningful his job is: “It’s nice to feel the sweetness of someone else’s joy once in a while – to become aware of the miracles that take place every day around us, sometimes close, sometimes far. And to remember the things that we take for granted, like sight, can be so dearly missed by others and so deeply cherished.”

It is thoughts and stories like this that David shares through his column that find common ground among all. He reminds us that our most valuable resource – the one that will ensure our survival as we venture into the increasingly rough waters of the future – is our own people. He reminds us of the Book of Proverbs, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” He proposes that we envision a future for our community and our children where creativity, service, character and global understanding become the foundation upon which we build our homes, our schools and our economic, political and personal relationships. He opens our minds to the possibility that “true prosperity means awakening the possibilities of the spiritual and material well-being of all our islands’ inhabitants, without distinction…”

His words often act as a loving guide helping us to understand some profound life lesson. But he will readily admit that it is often the goofy and humorous thoughts that sometimes get the most enthusiastic response. I am reminded of his account of a phone conversation with a woman who did not speak English very well. He called to invite a friend to dinner and the woman answered the phone. David captures the humor and the frustration of diverse people coming in touch with one another. The multilingual misunderstandings that the phone call sets in motion lead ultimately to the blind wife in the book’s title.

This book does wonders to lift the soul rather than burden it. It helps the reader focus on the good, the positive in everything. The analogy of the mirror helps us understand the value of this approach. The human soul is likened to a mirror – if it is turned to the sun it will reflect the light and heat of that sun. But if it is turned toward the dirt, the squabbles, the decadency and dark side of human reality, it will reflect that same darkness. This book is refreshing because its ideas lift us up and allows us, even in times of great distress and hardship, to focus on the light that shines upon the dirt.

During one of David’s recent visits to Guam, I was thrilled to hear that he had decided to publish this book. I told him that I could now finally use something even more thought provoking and relevant in my Introduction to Sociology class. I teach two large sections of this class each semester, and in recent years I decided that I wanted to give the students an opportunity to read and reflect on something meaningful and not necessarily a sociology text. After much consideration I chose Tuesdays with Morrie, a life-changing book my students love. Yet now I will replace it with World Peace, a Blind Wife and Gecko Tails. I am convinced it will offer my students an even greater opportunity to reflect on their own lives, their communities, and the world their children will inherit.

Kirk Johnson, Ph.D.
Mangilao, Guam
August, 2007

What's the Book About? (The Back Cover)
Acclaim for the Book
Introduction - David Khorram, MD

Introduction

2008-03-11T09:09:00.006+10:00

The phone rang. It was Jayvee Vallejera, the editor of the Saipan Tribune. “I’ve talked it over with the publisher, and we like your ideas, David. But we want you to be a little more controversial.”

“No way, Jayvee.” I proposed to write this weekly column because I wanted to make the world a better place. Pick up a newspaper on any given day and you find catastrophe, tragedy, corruption, crime and other anxiety provoking news. I wanted to share news or knowledge that might make someone happier or healthier. I wanted to share ideas that might touch a heart, a mind, a soul. I wanted to tell some stories that might make someone laugh, just to laugh. Or maybe help someone change in some small way. “There’s already enough controversy in the paper, Jayvee. This is something different. Work with me on this.”

I think Jayvee was reluctant, but he agreed, and the weekly column, Better Living was born in November 2004. This book is a collection of the favorite columns from those first few years.

I live on an island in the South Pacific – a place of romantic idealizations. An island is a paradise, but it is also a highly compressed universe. Everything is close together. The depth of the island’s beauty is obvious as you gaze into her eyes, but so too is the piece of spinach stuck between her teeth. They are both unavoidable. How you respond to the spinach is what defines your experience. And this holds true not just on an island, but anywhere.

Many of these columns deal with the issues that arise in this compressed universe. I strive to lend a new perspective to them. My intent has been to open minds to new ideas and possibilities. For this reason I rarely mention the specific issues at hand. By not getting lost in the details of the issues, I hope that the readers would focus on the underlying principles, in a calmer, deeper way. Some of the columns deal with health, medicine, and well-being. Others are simply stories to entertain.

The columns that I’ve chosen for this book are the ones that people enjoyed the most – the ones that people would stop me in the grocery store to say, “I loved your column this week.” Rather than try to organize them by topic, I’ve left them in the order they were written. I haven’t attempted to provide any context or explanation, trusting that the ideas are universal, and that you can get a sense of what must have been going on in the community to merit the ink.

As I approached the end of the first year of writing these columns, the Northern Mariana Islands Council for the Humanities came to believe that my writing was doing something to promote the humanities on our islands. In 2005 the Council took what must have been an unusual step, and awarded me – a doctor and a newspaper columnist – a Governor’s Humanities Award, naming me “Outstanding Humanities Teacher.” I was deeply honored. Nevertheless, it has not been lost on me that for all my profound commentary and erudite exposition, for all my delving into history, philosophy, ethics, culture, comparative religion, sociology, psychology, government, health and economics, the column that is re-read the most, and appears to have changed more lives than any other, is the one that explains how to make yogurt.

Once in a while, someone wonders what makes me write on such a broad range of topics. Well, I’m a doctor, so I suppose it’s natural for me to write about health and medicine. I’m a Bahá’í, which leads me to spend some time each day consciously thinking about self-improvement, peace, civilization and the things that relate to the planet’s spiritual and social organization. The themes are on my mind, and they leak out onto the page. The rest of the stuff – the silly stuff – is just evidence of the futility of keeping the inner goofball contained.

David Khorram
Saipan, Mariana Islands
August 2007

What's the Book About? (The Back Cover)
Acclaim for the Book
Foreword - Kirk Johnson, PhD

Acclaim for David Khorram's World Peace, a Blind Wife, and Gecko Tails

2008-03-10T17:46:00.009+10:00

“Dr. Khorram has the wonderful gift of being able to make us think and laugh at the same time. I nearly always laugh out loud while reading his work. But, his stories never fail to make me stop and reflect on some global issue or one of life’s big questions. He shares with us his unique and refreshing way of seeing the world.”

Don Bader, MD
Global Health Consultant

“Dr. Khorram blends wit, wisdom, care and concern in splashing rainbow colors. His humor, like any good comedy, symbolizes greater depths of truth, pain and joy. Newcomers and old-timers to the islands will find his insights and observations filled with potential, caution and possibility.”

Rev. Ewing W. Carroll, Jr., retired
United Methodist Pastor

“This man’s writings define the meaning of peace in the Pacific. He takes us toward the calm harbors during the occasional typhoons and calamities in our daily lives.”

Robert T. Torres, Attorney

“Dr. Khorram stimulates us to explore our own views.”

Joseph Kevin Villagomez
CNMI Secretary of Health

“Dr. David Khorram brings to the literary field a lot of the virtues he brings to the medical field: Intelligence, excellence and insight laced with a heavy dose of humor, foresight and compassion.”

Jeffrey C. Turbitt
Columnist, Marianas Variety

“A Renaissance man in the western Pacific is an image that has fluttered through my mind more than once while reading Dr. David Khorram’s offerings. His astute thoughts, and knowledgeable commentary on wide-ranging topics, attest to his awareness and interest in life on many fronts. He has an ability to phrase things succinctly, humorously and creatively, and is not above trying to involve his readers in taking an active and positive role in the local and world community. He is a Commonwealth treasure.”

Jeff Schorr
Field Representative
Office of Insular Affairs
US Department of the Interior
Saipan

“Dr. Khorram’s writing is easy to read and insightful. His writings are humorous, philosophical, and always full of soul. Everyone can relate to the basic human experience that he shares. You will find yourself laughing out loud as you read some of his stories, and seriously re-thinking the human condition as you read his more philosophical writings. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys the writings of a person who portrays an open mind, open heart, and a positive spirit!”

Senator Maria Frica T. Pangelinan
15th Northern Marianas Legislature

“Consider this the Chicken Soup for the Soul of Micronesia. Dr. David Khorram offers a potpourri of good advice, on-target observations and musings, all designed to make you healthier in mind and body, and, at the same time, the world a better and nicer place in which to live.”

Bob Coldeen
Author of Bumps in Paradise

“David Khorram’s stories of life in the tropics are like a chilled mango salad on a hot day: so refreshing you don’t even realize they’re good for you too.”

Michael Ernest, Attorney

“David has a way of seeing the big picture while the rest of us are still trying to figure out how to open the box.”

Angelo O. Villagomez
Executive Director
Mariana Islands Nature Alliance

“Find thoughtful intelligence here. And marvelous insights into daily life and lives. Oh, and add humor, balanced with compassion. David’s thoughts are deep, profound, and he shares them with a lightness that compels you to keep reading… about life, and community and members of that community being like family and embracing the world… to make it better… for us all. You find yourself absorbed by his gentle challenges, then feeling compelled to meet them.”

Annette Donner
Producer, Guam’s Liberation

“Reading this book is like spending time with your favorite spiritual adviser, doctor, philosopher, humanitarian, mentor, and best friend. Dr. David Khorram wields his mighty pen to restore vision to his readers, helping us see ourselves and the world with sharper clarity. His sense of humor is, indeed, a bonus.”

Cinta M. Kaipat, Screenwriter
Lieweila: A Micronesian Story

“David Khorram’s mind is like a prism for our times. When wisdom shines through his mind, it manifests in beliefs that uplift us, ideas that inspire us, and challenges that urge us to live our lives on deeper, wider, more transcendent and colorful levels of understanding.”

Walt F.J. Goodridge
Author of Turn Your Passion Into Profit

“Absolutely superb, eloquent to the max. I don’t know how he does it, but David always has a way of cutting through the overgrowth, then holding up the thing that really matters and saying ‘This is what we should be talking about.’ And then he’ll explain something so clearly that you find yourself responding with ‘I knew it! I mean, I couldn’t say it before, but now I can!’”

David Yamartino, Engineer

“Physicists accelerate atomic particles at tremendous speed toward each other in order to study the composition of the universe. Dr. Khorram has accelerated a car containing three wise men toward an on-coming car containing the Three Stooges. The result is a fascinating and often humorous consideration of our own humanity and our collective potential for greatness.”

Lt Cmdr Randy Clark, retired
United States Coast Guard

What's the Book About? (The Back Cover)
Foreword - Kirk Johnson, PhD
Introduction - David Khorram, MD