[10/1996 journal entry] Two weeks ago, the ‘Who cares?’ meetings began at O’Reilly’s Tavern on Tulane Avenue across from University Hospital. I invited eight of the department’s medical faculty members to participate. We are gradually inviting more faculty members. We meet weekly on Wednesdays after evening board rounds for a 40-minute conversation about times/circumstances we are experiencing that push us to the point of throwing in the proverbial towel. My perception at this point is that the drinks we order (limit of two) are sacramental in a ‘non-religious’ way.
[Note: The ‘community’ I experienced on Wednesday afternoons in that quiet dimly-lit tavern remains my closest realization of the second level of ‘community’ that characterizes my ‘non-religious’ path – i.e., individuals drawn together with no prerequisite other than the common resolve to be ‘with the world face to face’ in a way that initiates respect and conciliation even (especially) when there is no reason to expect reciprocity (the first level of ‘community’ for my ‘non-religious’ path). Disincentives to care deeply are pervasive in the medical education, residency training, and practice environments. Those of us who gathered at O’Reilly’s knew we were at risk not any longer to care. But none of us had previous experience with revealing to colleagues our vulnerabilities, our failures, our isolation, our disillusionment. I was both the prompter and a participant. I proposed that we meet together each week for three months and then decide whether to continue. At the end of three months, I began that week’s discussion by mentioning the time had come to assess the experiment. Their answers could be read from their expressions. Unanimously and urgently, we all agreed we had to continue. Today – ten years later – a variation on the ‘Who cares?’ gathering is still meeting in some New Orleans tavern (or was meeting until Hurricane Katrina hit).]
[Note: The ‘community’ I experienced on Wednesday afternoons in that quiet dimly-lit tavern remains my closest realization of the second level of ‘community’ that characterizes my ‘non-religious’ path – i.e., individuals drawn together with no prerequisite other than the common resolve to be ‘with the world face to face’ in a way that initiates respect and conciliation even (especially) when there is no reason to expect reciprocity (the first level of ‘community’ for my ‘non-religious’ path). Disincentives to care deeply are pervasive in the medical education, residency training, and practice environments. Those of us who gathered at O’Reilly’s knew we were at risk not any longer to care. But none of us had previous experience with revealing to colleagues our vulnerabilities, our failures, our isolation, our disillusionment. I was both the prompter and a participant. I proposed that we meet together each week for three months and then decide whether to continue. At the end of three months, I began that week’s discussion by mentioning the time had come to assess the experiment. Their answers could be read from their expressions. Unanimously and urgently, we all agreed we had to continue. Today – ten years later – a variation on the ‘Who cares?’ gathering is still meeting in some New Orleans tavern (or was meeting until Hurricane Katrina hit).]