Ben Casey, M.D.

On Sunday I had a little note in my "Sunday Sundries" about that old TV show Ben Casey (1961-66), about how I'd awakened that morning with some memories of the show. And I offered a warning: More is on the way. And here it is ...

Actually, what I was thinking about was the weekly opening to the show. Young Dr. Casey's mentor, Dr. David Zorba (played by Sam Jaffe), was writing some symbols on a blackboard: "Man ... woman ... birth ... death ... infinity." Video of this is easy to find on YouTube--here's a link to one clip.

My memory is that Vince Edwards, who played Casey, was not all that engaging or animated as an actor, though as I look at pictures of him now, it's pretty clear that it was his appearance that was the message: young, hot, and, okay, principled ... what's not to like?

I just took a look. Sam Jaffe died of cancer on March 24, 1984; he was 93 years old. (Link to obit in the New York Times.)

And Vince Edwards? He died of pancreatic cancer on March 11, 1996; he was only 67. (Link to obit in New York Times.)

So why was I thinking about Ben Casey and Vince Edwards and Sam Jaffe and man-woman-birth-death-infinity early on Sunday morning?

I don't know. Probably because I've been thinking a lot about mortality in my Latter Days. I'm almost afraid to look at the Times every morning. What notable has died? What atrocities have we human beings performed upon other human beings? Upon our planet? What egregious things have occurred because so many of us can't seem to tolerate people with different religions, races, genders and gender identities, philosophies. Hell, we seem to resent the very air that the Despised Ones breathe--so, might as well pollute it all.

But that's too slow.

Let's nuke every enemy instead. That's quick. Boom. Problem solved.

All of us need to take a deep breath, then look at those distant satellite pictures of earth, the ones that show us, as Carl Sagan wrote, as a "pale blue dot" in a vast sea of darkness.

We should be deeply engaged with one another now, looking for ways to make our tiny planet safer, more habitable, more healthful, more like a community, more secure for future generations.

We should think every day of man, woman, birth, death, infinity.  And do so with great humility and gratitude for all that is possible. And then act ... before it's too late.


Note: Lots of Ben Casey--available on YouTube.