Patients know in a heartbeat if they're getting a clumsy exam. Abraham Verghese More Quotes by Abraham Verghese More Quotes From Abraham Verghese I believe in black holes. I believe that as the universe empties into nothingness, past and future will smack together in the last swirl around the drain. Abraham Verghese black believe past I think America is really in denial about the degree to which residents, particularly foreign medical graduates, man the county hospitals of this country, and but for their services, I'm not sure how exactly we could manage. Abraham Verghese men country thinking Not only our actions, but also our omissions, become our destiny. Abraham Verghese our-actions omission destiny The crookedness of the serpent is still straight enough to slide through the snake hole. Abraham Verghese snakes slides enough God will judge us, Mr. Harris, by--by what we did to relieve the suffering of our fellow human beings. I don't think God cares what doctrine we embrace. Abraham Verghese judging suffering thinking ...guilt leads to righteous action, but rarely is it the right action. Abraham Verghese righteous guilt action I'm a great believer in geography being destiny. Abraham Verghese believer geography destiny Being the first born gives you great patience. Abraham Verghese born giving firsts There are moments as a teacher when I'm conscious that I'm trotting out the same exact phrase my professor used with me years ago. It's an eerie feeling, as if my old mentor is not just in the room, but in my shoes, using me as his mouthpiece. Abraham Verghese eerie teacher years We are all fixing what is broken. It is the task of a lifetime. We'll leave much unfinished for the next generation. Abraham Verghese next generations broken I love to read poetry but I haven't written anything that I'm willing to show anybody. Abraham Verghese love-to-read willing shows I think we can see how blessed we are in America to have access to the kind of health care we do if we are insured, and even if uninsured, how there is a safety net. Now, as to the problem of how much health care costs and how we reform health care ... it is another story altogether. Abraham Verghese blessed america thinking It was all I had, all I've ever had, the only currency, the only proof that I was alive. Memory. Abraham Verghese alive stories memories Another day in paradise' was his inevitable pronouncement when he settled his head on his pillow. Now I understand what that meant: the uneventful day was a precious gift. Abraham Verghese precious-gifts another-day paradise I joke, but I only half joke, that if you come to one of our hospitals missing a limb, no one will believe you till they get a CAT scan, MRI, or orthopedic consult. Abraham Verghese motivation inspiration believe That's the funny thing about America--the blessed thing. As many people as there are to hold you back, there are angels whose humanity makes up for all the others. I've had my share of angels. Abraham Verghese angel blessed thank-you Geography is destiny. Abraham Verghese geography destiny Yesterday misspent can't be recall'd Vanity makes beauty contemptible Wisdom is more valuable than riches. Abraham Verghese riches vanity yesterday In America, we have always taken it as an article of faith that we 'battle' cancer; we attack it with knives, we poison it with chemotherapy or we blast it with radiation. If we are fortunate, we 'beat' the cancer. If not, we are posthumously praised for having 'succumbed after a long battle.' Abraham Verghese knives cancer taken Life for the Italians was what it was, no more and no less, an interlude between meals Abraham Verghese meals
