Blog #3 9.6.08

It is obvious to me that a lot of students have been affected/effected by the text regarding the surgeon’s son on page 61. I think it is by far on of the most powerful stories/riddles I have ever encountered and I didn’t even realize it until today. What has society been thinking placing women in a box and deciding that when women and men alike think about a surgeon they automatically think of a man… absolute blasphemy. I am a man and I can only relate to a limited degree, but after reading so many blogs about this subject I am up-hauled at how many students thought that the boy’s parent had to be a man (father) or an in-law; not his mother.
When I was reading the text, I had already heard the riddle, but it did make me think of the time I first heard it. I felt so ashamed that I didn’t think about the boy's mother. It is a great way to make us, not only as a class but a society, think about the way we communicate and perceive others in the world we live in.
Personal experience: I broke my leg when I was 14, and my orthopedic surgeon was a woman. At that age you have a limited amount of decisions to make… but I knew after speaking to Dr. Laura, I knew that she was, if not one of, the very best. 3 years later I needed coercive surgery on my ankle; I went to Dr. Laura because I not only knew she was the best surgeon, but she had kept in touch and went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure that my healing from the original surgery was 100% corrected… dare I say a male doctor would not have gone the extra mile for me…. No I shouldn’t because we will be right back where we started… or would we…