psychiatry
A Quest for Water (Adventures of The HEADoc)
Tue, May 26, 2009 at 06:24PM 
During our last episode. . .
The HEADoc witnessed his SUV almost demolished by the unannounced falling of a dead tree. This led him to ponder the question of random coincidences versus fate. Thus far, fate is the winner. The HEADoc hopes that readers don't take these adventure stories the wrong way. They are intended to provide a humorous way of viewing human experience and realizing that we all have some short comings and don't always get things right on the first attempt. Most importantly, it is probably unhealthy not to have enough humility to laugh at oneself from time to time. Although, it is likely true that The HEADoc, by nature, from time to time does tend to push the limit a bit with certain situations. But that's what keeps life from becoming a bore. Right?
In the most recent episode, The HEADoc finds himself obsessed with the idea of digging a pond. Unsatisfied with recommendations and expense estimates provided from consulting a couple of individuals who own the equipment to make this happen, The HEADoc is besieged with the brilliant thought and plan of doing the job himself. He knew of a friend who does construction work for a living who would be able to lend a hand if necessary. He finds himself with a little time on his hands. And digging a pond isn't exactly rocket science. Right? So The HEADoc does his You Tube and Google research on mini excavator and bull dozer operation. He figures to be able to do most of the work in a day or two at most.
The HEADoc presents to Sun Belt Rentals requesting a Bull Dozer for 24 hours. He is informed that such items are no longer available for rent but perhaps a mini excavator might be more suitable. The following day The HEADoc finds himself in the cab of 11, 000 pounds of earth moving metal and rubber. The feeling of power associated with plucking 500 pounds of earth or slapping down a tree with the flick of a couple of joysticks was indescribably exhilarating. It seemed so simple. Why had he waited so long to do this? After several hours of digging like a mad man there were several substantial sized holes in the ground and accompanying mounds of dirt, but nothing remotely resembling the pond envisioned. That's when it began to set in that a monkey could be trained to dig holes but construction of a structure such as a pond requires a bit of knowledge and a lot of skill.
The HEADoc asked his friend Miles for some assistance with what to do about the large mounds of dirt and rock and how to proceed with the digging. He was able to lend a hand after his daily construction job. On day 2 a hose ruptured on the mini excavator and The HEADoc was doused with hydraulic fluid. Not so much fun anymore. The repairman arrived on day 3 at 8:00 am and things were rolling again. The pond was starting to fill from the constantly running spring, which was encouraging. The water caused some of the dirt next to the edge to become unstable. Around 1:30 pm The HEADoc found himself violently ejected from the cab while rotating the machine to dump a bucketload of wet dirt and the stabilizer blade beneath gave way on one side. He could barely believe he wasn't seriously hurt as hard as his head was slammed against the roof. The greatest fear and suspense was wondering if the $50,000 machine would slip further into the hole and be damaged before a tow truck arrived. 911 said they don't normally send tow trucks but they could send an ambulance or, heaven forbid, the Fire Department. 411 said they could only give out one number at a time for wrecker services. The number provided just happened to be out of service. Instead of calling 411 back for another number The HEADoc contacted his friend Miles who was there in just a few minutes and happened to have a neighbor who owns a heavy duty towing service. The machine was saved and ready for service within a few minutes. The HEADoc had had enough high tech excavating and sought out his hand shovel. After a day of rest he returned to the cab but was extra cautious. Never again would The HEADoc take lightly the amount of work and expertise required to construct a project such as a pond.
Where does the psychology enter the picture here? Why would a grown man of presumably sound mind devote so much effort toward a potentially dangerous endeavor, especially for one with no prior experience? Since childhood, going fishing was always near and dear to The HEADoc. Several times he recalls being run away from people's ponds for trespassing or denied access and dealing with the feelings of disappointment. He vowed to one day own his own pond, even if it killed him. When The HEADoc completed his residency training he was fortunate enough to purchase a home that had access to a pond just a few feet away. Still he did not own the pond so apparently that did not fulfill the dream. Maybe that helps interpret some of the madness. The pond, for the most part , has been completed and so far it looks like it will be beautiful. It should be completely filled in the next couple of weeks.
Reader Comments (3)
This is so funny.. good job on the pond. Am I invited to fish
This is quite humorous. You are a gifted person who is blessed with many talents. a job well done on the pond.
This is quite humorous. You are a gifted person who is blessed with many talents. A job well done on the pond.