John Inzerillo: Independence Day | Eastern North Carolina Now

   Publisher's note: We are most pleased, and quite humbled, to have the opportunity to bring to our readership the often reflective, and always knowledgeable words of Oncologist John Inzerillo, MD.

   This is the sixth installment of a multi-part series, which began on June 2, 2012.

    "Jose can you see," this was a line from Jose Jimenez's routine on the Ed Sullivan show, Sunday nights, on CBS in the sixties. Jose Jimenez was a stage name for the comedian Bill Dana. Even though he used a Mexican accent he was an American born comedian. In his skit he would describe himself as a first time visitor to Yankee Stadium. Sitting in the cheap seats way out in the outfield, just before the start of the game, after hearing the first words of the Star Spangled Banner, he would reply, squinting "No I can't see."

    Many of us living in this fast paced world also have trouble seeing certain things. I firmly believe that we are free to see what we want to see and that we find what we are looking for, the good and the not so good. U2 and Bono, the group from Ireland, might not agree with me in their song, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." But, I believe we can all agree that when we think we have found the thing that should have made us happy, we end up searching for something else. We still go seeking that which will make us happy once and for all.
No monument in all of America speaks to the independence of a liberty loving people better than the World War II Memorial, where the sacrifice of all Americans was more uniform and universally paramount than at any other time in our nation's history. This memorial honors well that sacrifice in this magnanimously justified war: Above.     photo by Stan Deatherage
    Being happy and realizing that we are free to pursue what we individually want is not a once and for all endeavor. Instead our search and the exercising of our freedom is a daily process. For many it is a daily chore or struggle. The truth of the matter is that our quests and the management of their associated problems do not have to be a struggle. With a tweak in our attitudes we can all learn to appreciate our problems and challenges and use them as a means for positive change.

    We are free to think what we want though we can not always do what we want. The work of creating the future that we desire begins when we derive our motivation from things yet unseen to the human eye. We need to act from the idea of seeking that which we hope for. This is not to say that we must ignore reality or deny our problems, but when we act from and proceed along the lines that what we do does make a difference and that what we continually dwell on and work toward will eventually come to pass, we will in one form or another find what we are looking for. When we let go and realize that the time frame is up to our Creator, then we can rest in the moment and enjoy going along for the ride.

    What we think, what we do, and what we say matter. Daily teach yourself, your children, your friends, and your associates this simple truth and watch the future work itself out in the best way for all concerned. And next time you hear the Star Spangled Banner, O_______ (insert your name) can you see... you can say, 'Yes," Yes I can see the freedom and independence that I have been given and I will exercise that privilege each day.