Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP
Brian Sipe’s “Red Right 88.” John Elway’s “The Drive.” Earnest Byner’s “The Fumble.” Michael Jordan’s “The Shot.” Jose Mesa’s “The Choke.” And now, the Cavs’ and “The Sweep.”
You’ve just read an abridged version of the History of Cleveland Sports. For those of you who have no interest in sports, fear not; there’s an analogy in here somewhere.
Growing up a Cleveland sports fan has been a roller coaster ride of high hopes, heartbreaks, almosts, and nearmisses.
Not a single championship to our name since the 1964 Browns (and I just missed that one)—the longest-running drought in sports history in cities with at least three professional teams.
And yet, we still cheer. Our teams still battle and the fans still hope for improvement “next year.”
Why not just give up? In between the anger and depression stages of my grief, I am reminded of the importance of “the journey” over “the win.” (Some might call this the denial and bargaining stages of grief).
Effort, pride, and improvement form the core of this journey.
It is here that we come to our analogy: Medicine is a journey, a perpetual journey of discovery, knowledge, and lifelong learning. Urgent care is on a journey of its own, to define
and refine a specialty.
There is no end to this journey. There are no “winners,” no finish line. It is a process which we pursue because we are driven by pride and the need for continual improvement. “Recognition” and “legitimacy” are fools’ gold. Focusing on them minimizes the importance of the journey.
My only hope is that we continue to grow, work hard to be better, and find ways to get together and cheer.
There; now I feel better. It all makes sense. I’ll live to cheer another day. Go Browns!
