Columbus and The GPS

I never really understood the celebration of Columbus Day.  The Stock Market is open, schools are closed.  Some businesses are open, some are not.  Throughout my prior career, I never had Columbus Day off, so it was never a big deal, but always left much for contemplation.
Columbus was a Genoese (there was no unified Italy for another 300+ years or so) who believed in the concept of a 'global' world, not a flat and linear earth.  It wasn't the Genoese who funded his first journey to the Indies, it was under the Spanish flag he sailed.  He didn't sail with veritable seaman, but prisoners and Sephardic Jews (remember, the Inquisition was alive and well then) - all who were given a choice to either rot in jail or take their chances to sail off the edge of the world with Columbus.  Columbus, like Moses was lost - let's face it.  Moses wandered throughout the desert for 40 years and Christophe just went the wrong way; he made a left out of port instead of a right.  Columbus certainly didn't end up in India, but found a wild, beautiful continent full of natural resources he named the "New World".  It was Amerigo Vespucci who figured out the real American deal....I've always wondered why we don't celebrate Vespucci Day....we did name the land after him...hmmmmm.
The bottom line here is this:  Columbus and all his peers used the tools available at the time:  a compass, a ruler, the stars.  I think these guys had guts and did pretty well for themselves (forget Moses - he was just lost!).  Just imagine if the explorers had a GPS?

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Quite often, I hear people 'poo-poo' modern medicine because they want to be 'natural'or criticize Chinese Medicine because it's 'foreign' to them.  Today, we have the tools available to detect diseases before they make us suffer, we have diagnostics and certain drugs that help cure us.  We also have Chinese Medicine which has been around for over 3,000 years and has been used worldwide integratively with allopathic medicine to ensure the best possible treatment to our patient population without harmful side effects.  Quite often, new patients come to my office because although they have had MRIs, xrays and diagnoses, they still have had no relief  from symptoms with surgical or pharmaceutical care.  Examining diagnostic imaging gives me the tools I need to treat my patients effectively and efficiently with outstanding results.  So, be smart!  Take advantage of all the tools available to you - acupuncture, xrays, nutritional counseling, yoga, exercise, and don't forget FUN - for your best health care regime.
There will be no blog this upcoming Monday.  I'm declaring it "Kelley's Day" and taking the day off for some self celebration.  And as a friend just reminded me for all you pasta eaters out there...macaroni originates from China.  It's as old and sustainable as Chinese Medicine.