The Similkameen News Leader
Editorial
October 30, 2007
RUB SOME DIRT ON IT
Stop us if you've heard this one.
An orphaned patient was riding a bus in the big city.
He had a cardboard sign hanging from his neck that said, "I got dumped by my doctor."
The bus pulls up to a bus stop near a shopping mall and lets some riders off, and one gets on.
The new rider takes two steps down the row between the bus seats and sees the orphaned patient.
Their eyes lock and just as the bus lurches forward the new rider says,
"You must be from Princeton."
The orphaned patient says, "Yep and weren't you my doctor a year ago?"
Or maybe you've heard this one.
Two young doctors are traveling at 95 kilometres per hour. One is heading west and the other is heading east. The first doctor left Medical School at 3:00 PM local time. The other saw his last patient at 2:15 PM and booked a long lunch and a tee time for 4:00 PM. Which one will turn down an offer to move to Princeton first?
Or maybe you've heard this one.
What do you call it when you move to the Similkameen and can't find a doctor to take you as a patient?
You've been Princeton'ed.
Or maybe you've heard this one.
What do you get when you cross a box of bandages and a bottle of aspirin with www.virtualdoctor.com? The future of medical care in Princeton.
Okay, we admit it's not that bad, but unless someone can find a way to attract and keep new doctors here (or as IHA likes to refer to as the Orecruitment and retention' issue) we could become the punch line to these jokes and many more like them.
Unless, of course, it's been so obvious we've missed it all along.
Something right in front of our faces that we no longer see.
It can't be the clean air and water.
It can't be the many recreational opportunities throughout the year.
It can't be the countless cultural and artistic groups that call Princeton home.
It can't be the geographic location close to the big cities but not too close.
It can't be the friendly residents and the slower pace. It can't be the low crime rate. It can't be the local history. It can't be the deer but it could be the marmots. We knew they were up to something when they took over Rotary Park.
Rotten little rodents.
