DAVE
I was born three score years ago in Fayetteville,, the
home of the Arkansas Razorbacks . It's a beautiful
mountain community set in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest
Arkansas. My sister lives there; her name is Joan Hess,
the creator of the Maggody series of mystery novels.
I also have some good friends there with whom I play
water volleyball and try to convince to move to California.
After serving an apprenticeship in humidity tolerance, I put myself to
the test and went to Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where
I majored in psychology and learned about bacon pizza. Then, it was back
to Arkansas ( Little Rock) where I became sophisticated along with Bill
Clinton and graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine.
I left in June of 1973 and arrived in Washington, DC,
three days later, I declined to throw my hat in the political ring and,
instead, spent three years with Dr. Mansour Armaly, world famous glaucoma
specialist, and Director of my Ophthalmology residency at the George Washington
University School of Medicine. I rapidly became a serious Redskin fan .
It was a wonderful city, full of museums, bike trails, parks, and at least
ten thousand restaurants. Of course, it was rice and beans for the lowly
paid resident.
I heard Johnny Cash at the Bicentennial Celebration in front of the Washington
Monument on July 4, 1976, and then sped rapidly to scenic Wichita Falls, Texas,
where I learned how to be an Air Force physician. I guess it worked out okay
because they sent me to Mather AFB in Sacramento, California, where two years
later my first daughter Ashley was born. The same year, I 'passed the boards'
given by the American Board of Ophthalmology and helped create the residency
rotation at the military base for the University of California at Davis, where
I eventually rose to the rank of Assistant Clinical Professor.
Three years of Air Force later, I started solo private practice in ophthalmology
in Sacramento, and (unknowingly) eagerly awaited the introduction of
the Apple Macintosh computer, two years later, in 1984. I learned to ski, to
fall down, and other reasons people spend days freezing to death in the nearby
Sierra Mountains. However, I did open an ophthalmology practice in South Lake
Tahoe and nearby Jackson, California, where I saw a wonderful variety of people
and lifestyles.
Another daughter, Casey, was born in 1986. She is now an ninteen year-old bundle
of positive energy, while my older daughter Ashley is living in (guess where?)
Washington, D.C., where she is becoming an accomplished actress and rising
to prominence with the American Psychological Association.
During the past years, I have been a member of the Sacramento-El Dorado Medical
Society, the International Society of Online Ophthalmologists, California Medical
Assoiciation, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Cataract
and Refractive Surgery, the International Society of Refractive Surgery, and
served as President of the Northern California Alta California Ophthalmology
Society. I know this sounds bad, but I consider myself to be one of the best
LASIK surgeons there is. I told you it sounds bad...
An important part of my life was running (9 minue miles / not too fast) and
TaeKwonDo, which I enjoyed teaching. I have now moved on to other
pursuits, primary among them being learning to dance. Right now, it's Night
Club Two-Step with my delightful wife. We are both slow
learners, but that's okay - try it! It's fun!
So, that's about it up to now. Oh, I'm also excited about country music, Jimmy
Buffett, Bayside Church, and putting our inflatable kayaks in the water. I
have a number of good friends who help make every day of my life wonderful
- and my dear Sharon who makes life worth living!
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