Wisdom

While in the hospital, I was approached by an older man in a white coat.  A former Doctor who was now solely a teacher, softspoken and stolid, he asked if a med student could do a routine history and physical.  I was there, so what the hell, might as well, donate my body to science while I can be thanked for it.

The student got most of the numbers wrong.  It was cute.

At the end, the teacher thanked me, and said something that stuck with me.  "I was told this by a mentor 60 years ago," he began.  "The way to live a long life is to get a chronic disease and take really good care of it."  

That was the last I saw of him.  But not the last I thought of him.