Dr. Ben Carson

Yesterday as New York City's blizzard was breaking its own snow accumulation record I was sure the NYC schools would be closed. Now I love snow days as much as anyone else but I knew that today was the Dr. Ben Carson videoconference and my joy for a snow day was tempered by my disappointment of missing this special event. So, when Mayor Bloomberg, in the tradition of the mayors before him, said the NYC schools would be opened I was happy for this one reason. We would be to participate in this videoconference.
Dr. Carson has been healing and educating children for years. He is a brilliant pediatric neurosurgeon. He
has separated conjoined twins and performed countless life saving surgeries on the brain and spinal system. However, in the words of Dr. Carson his greatest pride comes not from those individual lives he saves through operations but from the impact he has made on so many countless lives through his books, talks and philanthropic work. Today was one of those inspirational meetings. Dr. Carson spoke to classes of students spread across the United States. He talked about his childhood in Detroit. His feelings of stupidity. His single parent home. The positive influences he found. His accomplishments in medicine. Six of the participating schools asked him prepared questions. Which he answered with long and thoughtful answers.
I looked at the faces of the students at IS126, the school that was participating in New York. They were listening attentively. I tried to see who he might be having an effect on. But you really never know whose life will be forever changed by such an encounter.
I really liked this videoconference. I enjoyed listening to this man who was so accomplished and caring. I think it was better than a snow day.