Oklahoma Is Where I Live and Other Things on My Mind

“Gary Conrad is a storyteller in the Oklahoma tradition of Will Rogers. He shares his very personal experiences and the insights and wisdom he has gained as a compassionate physician and spiritual seeker. A satisfying read.” —Andrew Weil, MD, author of Spontaneous Happiness and 8 Weeks to Optimum Health

“Oklahoma Is Where I Live is a sassy, juicy collection of reminiscences of growing up and coming of age in the American heartland. Conrad’s essays have an archival flavor for a past we must remember, as America becomes increasingly urbanized.” —Larry Dossey, MD, author of Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine, and Executive Editor of Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing

“A genuine storyteller, Gary Conrad shares precious, thought provoking, funny, heartwarming and profound anecdotes. Oklahoma Is Where I Live is a treasure!” —Joan Korenblit, Executive Director Respect Diversity Foundation

“It may be true, as Conrad states, that Will Rogers was ‘Oklahoma’s greatest storyteller.’ But Conrad’s not a bad storyteller himself! His stories about being a boy, a father, a doctor, and a liberal are all set in Oklahoma. Yes, a liberal in Oklahoma; there are still some of us around! As he insists, it’s possible to love the state—its beauty, diversity, friendliness, etc.—without fitting into its overwhelmingly “red” political status these days. Conrad’s account of his activism against capital punishment is alone enough to show that he doesn’t fit in. ‘I have nothing against conservatism,’ he writes, ‘but I struggle with minds that are closed, whether conservative or liberal.’ Indeed. Oklahomans of all persuasions should enjoy and benefit from this book, but it deserves a broader audience as well.” —Davis D. Joyce is the author of Howard Zinn: A Radical American Vision, and editor of two Zinn-influenced collections of “alternative views” of Oklahoma history, “An Oklahoma I Had Never Seen Before” and Alternative Oklahoma

“Like Oklahoma’s favorite son, Will Rogers, Gary Conrad is a genuine storyteller. This collection of sometimes funny, sad, or compelling stories is important in the preservation of history. The excitement jumps off the page when he describes something as mundane as his first kiss, or as he painfully relates the last moments of a death row inmate’s life. There are hilarious stories about strange objects taken from a patient during surgery and the gut-wrenching care for victims of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

“After all, Gary Conrad’s life is like our own existence—filled with hills and valleys. Fortunately, he has emptied his soul of his remembrances and has fulfilled his obligation to pass along the stories of his life to the following generations.” —Bob Burke, attorney, Oklahoma historian and author of Opala: In Faithful Service to the Law"

1116851748
Oklahoma Is Where I Live and Other Things on My Mind

“Gary Conrad is a storyteller in the Oklahoma tradition of Will Rogers. He shares his very personal experiences and the insights and wisdom he has gained as a compassionate physician and spiritual seeker. A satisfying read.” —Andrew Weil, MD, author of Spontaneous Happiness and 8 Weeks to Optimum Health

“Oklahoma Is Where I Live is a sassy, juicy collection of reminiscences of growing up and coming of age in the American heartland. Conrad’s essays have an archival flavor for a past we must remember, as America becomes increasingly urbanized.” —Larry Dossey, MD, author of Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine, and Executive Editor of Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing

“A genuine storyteller, Gary Conrad shares precious, thought provoking, funny, heartwarming and profound anecdotes. Oklahoma Is Where I Live is a treasure!” —Joan Korenblit, Executive Director Respect Diversity Foundation

“It may be true, as Conrad states, that Will Rogers was ‘Oklahoma’s greatest storyteller.’ But Conrad’s not a bad storyteller himself! His stories about being a boy, a father, a doctor, and a liberal are all set in Oklahoma. Yes, a liberal in Oklahoma; there are still some of us around! As he insists, it’s possible to love the state—its beauty, diversity, friendliness, etc.—without fitting into its overwhelmingly “red” political status these days. Conrad’s account of his activism against capital punishment is alone enough to show that he doesn’t fit in. ‘I have nothing against conservatism,’ he writes, ‘but I struggle with minds that are closed, whether conservative or liberal.’ Indeed. Oklahomans of all persuasions should enjoy and benefit from this book, but it deserves a broader audience as well.” —Davis D. Joyce is the author of Howard Zinn: A Radical American Vision, and editor of two Zinn-influenced collections of “alternative views” of Oklahoma history, “An Oklahoma I Had Never Seen Before” and Alternative Oklahoma

“Like Oklahoma’s favorite son, Will Rogers, Gary Conrad is a genuine storyteller. This collection of sometimes funny, sad, or compelling stories is important in the preservation of history. The excitement jumps off the page when he describes something as mundane as his first kiss, or as he painfully relates the last moments of a death row inmate’s life. There are hilarious stories about strange objects taken from a patient during surgery and the gut-wrenching care for victims of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

“After all, Gary Conrad’s life is like our own existence—filled with hills and valleys. Fortunately, he has emptied his soul of his remembrances and has fulfilled his obligation to pass along the stories of his life to the following generations.” —Bob Burke, attorney, Oklahoma historian and author of Opala: In Faithful Service to the Law"

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Oklahoma Is Where I Live and Other Things on My Mind

Oklahoma Is Where I Live and Other Things on My Mind

by Gary D. Conrad
Oklahoma Is Where I Live and Other Things on My Mind

Oklahoma Is Where I Live and Other Things on My Mind

by Gary D. Conrad

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Overview

“Gary Conrad is a storyteller in the Oklahoma tradition of Will Rogers. He shares his very personal experiences and the insights and wisdom he has gained as a compassionate physician and spiritual seeker. A satisfying read.” —Andrew Weil, MD, author of Spontaneous Happiness and 8 Weeks to Optimum Health

“Oklahoma Is Where I Live is a sassy, juicy collection of reminiscences of growing up and coming of age in the American heartland. Conrad’s essays have an archival flavor for a past we must remember, as America becomes increasingly urbanized.” —Larry Dossey, MD, author of Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine, and Executive Editor of Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing

“A genuine storyteller, Gary Conrad shares precious, thought provoking, funny, heartwarming and profound anecdotes. Oklahoma Is Where I Live is a treasure!” —Joan Korenblit, Executive Director Respect Diversity Foundation

“It may be true, as Conrad states, that Will Rogers was ‘Oklahoma’s greatest storyteller.’ But Conrad’s not a bad storyteller himself! His stories about being a boy, a father, a doctor, and a liberal are all set in Oklahoma. Yes, a liberal in Oklahoma; there are still some of us around! As he insists, it’s possible to love the state—its beauty, diversity, friendliness, etc.—without fitting into its overwhelmingly “red” political status these days. Conrad’s account of his activism against capital punishment is alone enough to show that he doesn’t fit in. ‘I have nothing against conservatism,’ he writes, ‘but I struggle with minds that are closed, whether conservative or liberal.’ Indeed. Oklahomans of all persuasions should enjoy and benefit from this book, but it deserves a broader audience as well.” —Davis D. Joyce is the author of Howard Zinn: A Radical American Vision, and editor of two Zinn-influenced collections of “alternative views” of Oklahoma history, “An Oklahoma I Had Never Seen Before” and Alternative Oklahoma

“Like Oklahoma’s favorite son, Will Rogers, Gary Conrad is a genuine storyteller. This collection of sometimes funny, sad, or compelling stories is important in the preservation of history. The excitement jumps off the page when he describes something as mundane as his first kiss, or as he painfully relates the last moments of a death row inmate’s life. There are hilarious stories about strange objects taken from a patient during surgery and the gut-wrenching care for victims of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

“After all, Gary Conrad’s life is like our own existence—filled with hills and valleys. Fortunately, he has emptied his soul of his remembrances and has fulfilled his obligation to pass along the stories of his life to the following generations.” —Bob Burke, attorney, Oklahoma historian and author of Opala: In Faithful Service to the Law"


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781568251622
Publisher: Rainbow Books
Publication date: 11/30/2013
Pages: 195
Product dimensions: 5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)

Table of Contents

Prelude

Oklahoma's Favorite Son 3

Just for Fun

The First Kiss 9

Varmints 14

The Sweet Tooth 21

On Being a Man

A Moment of Glory 29

Male Bonding 34

Breaking Down a Door 39

Fatherhood 43

On Being a Doctor

The Wall 51

A Hairy Experience 56

Officer Goodspeed 63

The Sinus Infection 68

Doctor Sather 72

The Scream 75

Musings

Crossword Puzzles 85

Doing Small Things with Great Love 90

A Story of Grandparents' Love 94

A Helping Hand 100

The Kauri Forest 105

Challenges

The Miracle 111

A Man of God 117

Sports Hips 125

The Execution 131

Zoe 139

Pure Fantasy

The Poetry Muse 149

In Search of Haydn 155

More Fun

The La-Z-Boy Recliner 169

Time-Less 175

The Invasion of the Pack Rats 181

Postlude

Oklahoma 189

About the Author 195

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