Ten years ago, I published my first book, MY CHILDREN’S CHILDREN: RAISING YOUNG CITIZENS IN THE AGE OF COLUMBINE.1 This weekend I was perusing some of the saved website addresses on my computer. One in particular is a review of the book in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.2 I was struck by several quotes in the review.
“Dr. Saul…calls people to action to become better citizens, better parents, better individuals, and ultimately to have a better society. He cites a few pediatric research articles from peer reviewed journals, but for the most part, the book seems to be inspired by Dr. Saul’s experiences and personal views. His arguments are constructed in a comfortable and nonconfrontational manner, although often with idealistic views of how society’s complex problems can be fixed.”
Idealistic? Idealistic of how society’s complex problems can be fixed?
The author… explains, in a somewhat oversimplified manner, some general recommendations and gives examples to the reader with a brief take-home message at the end of each chapter.
Oversimplified? General recommendations?
The author gives a forceful explanation of why the only way change can occur is if each person becomes personally involved and accepts individual responsibility for society’s problems.
I like this quote – forceful!
Although Dr. Saul touches upon important aspects of advocacy, the specific examples and steps he recommends are somewhat vague and decontextualized from the complexities of durable solutions.
Uh-oh! Somewhat vague and decontextualized from the complexities of durable solutions.
Throughout this book, Dr. Saul gives us a glimpse of his many personal roles as a father, husband, son, and Christian, as well as a pediatrician and a fierce advocate for children. The style and content are geared to a general audience…With this book, he calls for action by describing various opportunities that the reader might have to make a difference.
The reviewers were right on here.
He reminds us of the responsibilities we have toward our patients. The title “My Children’s Children” makes reference to our patients as “our children.” Thus, the primary relevance to us as pediatric health care providers is that it activates the humanistic side of our professional roles to remind us that we have the potential to make a significant positive impact on our communities.
Got It! My work here is done.
Just kidding. My work isn’t really done here. I would like to address multiple points raised in the review since I think that they are pertinent to those of us engaged in the work of children’s advocacy and community improvement.
- Idealism – I am an unabashed idealist but also a pragmatist. The only way that words and deeds of positive change can be brought forth is out in the brazen openness of social interactions and under the cloak of idealism. The simple commands of the Golden Rule – do unto others as you would have them do unto you – are certainly an ideal standard but not frequently adhered to. So, one must be willing to state the obvious (the brazen openness) of an ideal standard, if we are willing to commit to our own actions and to encourage the desired actions of others. When I say the cloak of idealism, I am referring to my pragmatism. One is too often viewed as naïve when talking about the hoped-for standards. To then get the desired result, one must act in a manner that conveys the Golden Rule without overtly expressing that method. Idealism is this context is two-fold.
- Only with overt adherence to idealism can one see a path to change for citizens. Anything less is moving backward, not forward.
- To avoid being laughed at and accused of being “Pollyanna-ish,” actions that exemplify the ideal without stating it outright should be the goal.
- Oversimplification – I do not accept the criticism that some of my advice is over-simplified and perhaps too general. In the spirit of trying to be the voice of change, I learned early in my career that my job was to take complex concepts and simplify them in terms that my patients and families could understand. And I disagree with the characterization of oversimplification. To me, it is simplification that can be the driver of change.
- Forceful – I am glad that the reviewers could see my intent, to be a loud voice for the need for citizens to accept ownership in the issues in our communities, to be part of the solution, and to devote their resources to this end. In the words of Leland Kaiser, “I am the problem; I am the solution; I am the resource” should be our mantra going forward.3
- Vague and decontextualized – Again, I argue that my approach has been to encourage change (promoting love, emphasizing forgiveness) that can tangibly make a difference. Specific actions depend so much on each individual situation and individual. It is tough to provide specifics without knowing the specific situation. So, if my words were seen as vague, I accept that criticism but do not apologize for it.
- Action and responsibility – In my multiple roles (father, [now grandparent], husband, son, Christian, pediatrician, and a fierce advocate for children), I now realize that I must use my experience and any forum possible to argue on behalf of children and families for each of us to do everything we can to improve our lives, the lives of our fellow citizens and our communities. And while medical professionals do their work in their specific area, it is crucial for all of us medical professionals to remember our humanistic side and look beyond our immediate role to our more global role as a citizen.
Parenthetically, I must share an anecdote. I reached out to a dear friend and asked him to review this blog post, to see if I was adequately stating my point. He shared a quote (from Charles Mingus) that he holds near to his heart – making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity. That is my hope and dream. I hope to keep stating the obvious, which can be seen as too complicated to fix, and seek simple solutions that are impactful in a creative way.
The above discussion is not meant to be boastful as I present about the review of my first book. Rather it is meant to remind us that sometimes what we need to do is rather simple. Too often we make it too complex and unobtainable because of our inability to accept our responsibilities to others. I appeal to all of us to accept any criticisms of our “simple” behavior if it is a tangible step in the right direction. Simple, vague or decontextualized words and deeds are not simple, vague or decontextualized if applied for the good and well-being of others.
- Saul R. My Children’s Children: Raising Young Citizens in the Age of Columbine. CreateSpace; 2013. 225 pp.
- https://journals.lww.com/jrnldbp/fulltext/2015/09000/My_Children_s_Children.3.aspx
- https://mychildrenschildren.com/my-childrens-children-name/