Patch Adams: Ending Violence, Child Slavery and Equality

This is a wonderful film of Patch connecting with the Peruvian people. His organisation gesundheit institute supports the Belen Project in Peru.

Patch didn’t say that Laughter is the Best Medicine he felt Friendship was clearly the best medicine, it is the most important thing in life, relationships with those we love. He doesn’t think of laughter as a therapy, or music or art – these don’t need a word like therapy, art needs no help he says. For Patch humour is a context, at his hospital staff are happy, funny, loving, cooperate, creative and thoughtful. He sees a way for healthy human community to integrate each other so the community doesn’t have violence so the community is nurturing to each other, he says. He talks about how he works medicine and equates it as the same as how mothers work a home. No matter how bad the father is, no matter how much he drinks, or beats his wife, or ignores the care. He says most women in the home around the world work their butt off to make it beautiful, he compares this to women in hospitals as nurses. He speaks of the job as not to cure it is to care. You can always care, you can never guarantee before treatment a cure.

He spoke about what is pretty – he said his mother said ‘pretty is as pretty does’ if you are nice that is pretty, if you think pretty is 20 years old with a particular shape then the pharmaceutical company and cosmetic company will make multi million dollars out of you given waht you think pretty is. I really loved to hear this as I see true beauty has nothing to do with looks but inner grace.

I love his comment about quality of life and he says television defines it. He said if we cared about quality of life no-one would be hungry, everyone would work until everyone was fed. He uses the analogy of you having guests for dinner, you don’t eat until everyone has food. That is quality of life. Most men don’t think he says, they see dinner and they eat. They don’t wait.

He speaks of hospitals and says there are no happy hospitals because they are businesses, the doctors (most) are arrogant. He sees health care is not a vibrant home to nurture people. He speaks of his hospital in the US where the person sweeping will be paid the same as the doctor. Today in conventional medicine some of them make up to 3 million per year. I really love this idea as it is the true value of each person, and it is not socialism, it is simply focussing on valuing people who contribute to the whole. I thought this the other day when I thought of all the services that make up a city, there is no thank you to those who do the lower services, it is expected, but I saw clearly how important each role is when you see yourself as community rather than selfish self interest. I recall working as a secretary I worked very hard typing up the documents. I noted I had to have very good top of mind recall to be a secretary as there was so much to organise and recall. Yet it was valued less than the manager. I’ve worked as a manager and it requires different skills and to be honest I found that work easier as I had the power. I have worked in 400 companies and as I move through life it is an experience, why should I be paid more as an analyst yet when I work as a clown I am barely paid? Both have specific skills and talents but they are different. If I run workshops I get paid more in half a day than most people earn in a week. It is incredible the way moeny is distributed and which tasks are valued. I think it is far fairer to pay all the same. We value the person rather than the work. You will then see people naturally move into the areas they love rather than going for the money and not being talented in that area. How many people go for being a doctor attracted to the money rather than the desire to serve and heal people.

Clarity and truth are hard to hear when we have believed lies for a long time. What I love about Patch is that his compassion is what moves him to speak up. He is not a radical, he is simply a kind and loving man, someone for many men to look up to as he is teaching them about nurturing as a strength within the masculine not something that should be shunned, it should be celebrated and honoured.

Clowning is a celebration of life and a great priviledge I can tell you. The world is not a scary place, it is our thoughts about the world that scare us. When you dress up as a clown and go on out there you see the beauty in every face, as you always look deeply into the eyes and all you can see is love. I feel the tears writing this as I know it is true. It is the greatest joy of my life to be of service to people and give love, I cannot describe it in words other than peace.

Enjoy another inspiring video of Patch Adams in Peru and discussing his thoughts, perceptions and reasons why love in action is what produces real health and that for me, is the wealth of our world. There are no nation states just human kind living out an experience. Let’s make it a wonderful one. Think about where you are right now, do you see the humanity in your colleagues, those around you now. I ask you to really look at them without your baggage, just see the innocence of a person engaging in some activity. When you see the beauty of this person, that is your own beauty projected out. That is why when you fall in love with life you fall in love with yourself, as you and life are one.

Peace to you.

Patch Adams in Peru and his Philosophy of Love and Health