Glauc Talk: Acting Class Confessions from a 40-Year-Old Ophthalmologist

This week Kristin and I start off with something I've been wanting to work on for a while, my medical Spanish, because we're opening up a new location and I want to actually be able to communicate with my Spanish-speaking patients. Kristin was a Spanish major, so she helps me practice phrases sent in by a Spanish-speaking listener named Gabe, and let's just say it does not go great. 

Then I give Kristin a real update on my acting class, which has become my midlife crisis hobby of choice after bouldering nearly took out my elbow and beekeeping felt like too much commitment (and too much risk of me acidentally killing a bunch of bees). What I didn't expect going in was how much I needed something that has absolutely nothing to do with healthcare. Something else I really wasn't expecting: making actual friends who have nothing to do with our kids, which apparently is possible even after 30. If you're looking for a sign to take that random class you've been thinking about, this is it.

Takeaways:

Trying a hobby that's completely unrelated to your career, especially in healthcare, gives you a real mental break and can be genuinely good for your well-being.

It is possible to make genuine new friendships after 30, even ones that have nothing to do with your kids' friends' parents.

Learning common medical Spanish phrases, even imperfectly, can help doctors better communicate with and care for their Spanish-speaking patients.

Learning a brand-new skill later in life, and simply being bad at it for a while, can be a rewarding experience on its own.

Shared proximity and shared experience, like being in a class together, are two of the biggest drivers of forming new friendships as an adult.

—

To Get Tickets to Wife & Death: You can visit Glaucomflecken.com/live 

We want to hear YOUR stories (and medical puns)! Shoot us an email and say hi! knockknockhi@human-content.com

Can’t get enough of us? Shucks. You can support the show on Patreon for early episode access, exclusive bonus shows, livestream hangouts, and much more! –⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://www.patreon.com/glaucomflecken⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠