Here we go again - "Dilemma of the Second Day"
For the uninitiated, Dilemma of the Second Day is the decision you all faced this morning when you came into the Rotunda: where do I sit? It can be surprising how such simple decision begets so many questions.
Do I sit with those I sat with yesterday or with new people? Do I strengthen ongoing relationships or foster new ones? And if I moved to sit somewhere else, how would the people I sat with yesterday feel?
I still think it is not wrong to choose either way, though there is one caveat that didn't exist in January: our time together is now numbered. Before, it used to be that we could first choose one option, and we would still have some opportunities to choose the other option afterward. But right now? Not so much.
The way I approached this situation last year was to be very purposeful in what I did. In the end I chose to invest my time with those I was already acquainted with. Though it was a pity I did not get to meet more of the awesome Macyfolks, I never regret the decision - those relationships have stayed strong and meaningful over the year.
As appealing as the prospect of getting to choose both options can be, I would like to urge you to really think about what you are looking for. Is the most important thing to know more people, or is it to make sure that the existing relationships stay strong?
Atipong Pathanasethpong, MD, MS
