Memories

By Dr. Jim Ferguson I sometimes wonder if life is passing me by. Perhaps my feelings are colored by hearing that two more of my long term colleagues have announced their retirements. I’ll admit it’s tricky to know when it’s time to go, and too many seem to stay beyond...

Messages

By Dr. Jim Ferguson Have you ever been the one to not get the message? Well, it just happened to me, four hours before the editorial deadline for this week’s Focus. Apparently, I didn’t get the email that usually reminds columnists to be prepared for an early...

How to Grow Old

By Dr. Jim Ferguson I’m a pretty good internist and even have secondary board certification in geriatrics. But, I have no experience in growing old or as I like to say growing “older.” In medicine there is a wisdom axiom which goes, “Watch one, do one, teach one.” I...

Books and observations

By Dr. Jim Ferguson People talk about spring cleaning, but for me fall is a much busier time of the year. It seems that people put off their annual exams as long as possible, and then finally decide to “get’r done.” Fortunately, I now have time to accommodate...

Prevention

By Dr. Jim Ferguson No, this essay is not about how our leaders are failing in their primary duty which is to protect the citizens of the United States. We all know what must be done to prevent terrorism, but there is not the will to do so in Washington. Israel...

Moral Psychology

By Dr. Jim Ferguson How can we have common sense if we have nothing in common? The word community derives from the root word common and refers to a people who have commonly held interests. Does common sense or community still exist in our divided United States of...