\nand I have four daughters) completed high school seven years ago. Sometime
\nduring high school she decided she wanted to be a doctor and she applied for
\nadmission to many medical schools. Unfortunately, although she achieved excellent
\nresults she didn’t get into any of them and instead started a Science degree.
\nShe still wanted to be a doctor and investigated the various pathways open
\nto her. At the end of first year Sarah applied again for entrance to a number
\nof med schools and was offered a place interstate at the University
\nof New South Wales<\/a>. She had only a few days decide whether to turn all
\nher plans for the following year on their head. To leave her group of friends
\nand family and move to another state where she didn’t know anyone. Sarah did
\ntake up the opportunity, which meant a lot of hardship for her. On top of the
\nhuge workload of a medical degree, she had to work to meet the higher costs
\nof living away from home in another state.<\/p>\n
\nLast week, seven years after leaving high school, Sarah graduated as a doctor (with honours). Judy and I and her three sisters all travelled up for the graduation which was a great occasion which we enjoyed immensely.<\/p>\n
\nThe Occasional Address was delivered by Professor \nAs she was being introduced, we were told she was the key driver in the building works next to the auditorium in which we were sitting. As it turned out, the building we saw emerging from the ground was to be the home of the Lowy \nIt struck me as I was listening to Professor Haber being introduced how much a contribution to the community one person can make. It made consider how puny many of our aspirations are – especially our aspirations in business. How does a career in business compare with a career such as that of Michelle Haber? When we are in business, we think we are doing terribly important things. But are we really? Certainly we may be in a position where a lot of people depend on us. We may be in a position in which decisions we make affect the livelihood of a lot of people. Most people I speak with in business are aware of their responsibilities to those who depend on them but a lot of the time the focus appears to be solely on making money. How does any of this compare with the work of someone like Michelle Haber?<\/p>\n \nAll this reminded me of the late 60s Peggy \nThe narrator is sitting in St Mark’s Square in Venice when he falls into
\nMichelle Haber<\/a> – and this is where I return to my theme. Professor Haber graduated a couple of years after me in the late 70s. After taking some initial changes in direction, she took up what was to be a lifelong calling – research into the causes and treatment of childhood cancer. She is currently director of the Childhood
\nCancer Institute Australia<\/a>, a position she has held since 2000. Quoting from her bio “… she is known nationally and internationally for her research on delineating mechanisms of resistance to antic-cancer drugs in the treatment of nueroblastoma. Professor Haber has also been a key contributor in developing new approaches to improving the outcomes of children diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.”<\/p>\n
\nCancer Research Centre<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nLee<\/a> song “Is
\nthat all there is?”<\/a>. The song (written by Jerry
\nLeiber and Mike Stoller<\/a>) has a rich history. If you remember the song, you
\nwill remember the verse, in German
\ncabaret style<\/a>, is spoken rather than sung. This places its connection firmly
\nwith the German
\nExistentialists<\/a>. It seems the song was based
\non the story ‘Disillusionment’ by Thomas
\nMann<\/a>. Here is a summary of the story taken from Colin Wilson’s book The
\nCraft of the Novel<\/em><\/a>
\n:<\/p>\n
\na conversation with a fellow countryman. The man asks, “Do you know what
\ndisillusionment is? Not a miscarriage in small unimportant matters, but the great
\nand general disappointment which everything, all of life, has in store?” He tells
\nhow, as a small boy, the house caught fire; yet as they watched it burn down
\nhe was thinking, “So
\nthis is a house on fire? Is that all?” And ever since then, life has
\nbeen a series of disappointments; all the great experiences have left him with
\nthe feeling: “Is that all?” Only when he saw the sea for the first
\ntime, he says, did he feel a sudden tremendous craving for freedom, for a sea
\nwithout a horizon… And one day, death will come, and he expects it to be
\nthe last great disappointment. “Is
\nthis all?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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