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Note: its--back in the day when that was standard practice. Here is an excerpt from a letter written by Gordon Jr. to his father which relates a very influential lesson he learned about medicine. "If I am ever a success in life measured by interpersonal relationships it will be because of the greatest single lesson I have ever learned. One night during the summer of 1955 you awakeded me about 2 am to drive you on a call. I was working at Methodist at the ltime and usually got up in the morning at 5:30 am. I was somewhat indignant when you commented that you didn't think that there was anything wrong but that you thought you might go and take a look. The drive was not far and as I sat in the car I became more and more disgusted that I had to go on an unnecessary house call when I had to be at work so early. When you returned to the car I asked you what was the matter with the child. You said that he was all right. He just had a little colic. I'm afraid that my reaction to this was unbecoming to a son. After I had run out of unkind things to say, you made a comment that I hear inside each time I see the family of a patient. This has truly been a "golden rule" to me throughout my brief medical life. You said, "The baby is not sick but the parents were. They were scared and needed help." I pray that I will never become so callous or so busy that I forget this."
According to Lola McFarland Hill, Gordon was named for two people, Thomas Burnett and Gordon Boone. "We think he will grow up to do honor to your name and that of Gordon Boone who was Sam's friend at Austin College." Tom Burnett is referred to as "Uncle Tom," although he is not related by blood to this branch of the McFarlands, although he is related by marriage to James Franklin's brother, Newton Jackson. In the play written by Lola in 1966 to convey some family history she says about Tom as he enters the house: "It isn't every day the man who taught us both, baptized us both and married us to each other can be our guest." p. 85 from Lola's family history book.
Note: Gordon Burnett McFarland Sr. and Jr. were both doctors. Gordon Sr. practiced medicine in Ladonia and in Dallas and there are many wonderful stories remembered about his bedside manner and his home vis
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