Fly Fishing, Gardening and the Northwest: Meet @thankful

Member Spotlights feature interviews with fellow Connect members. Learn more about members you’ve connected with and some you haven’t met yet. Nominate a member you think should share the spotlight.

JOHN: What brought you to Mayo Clinic Connect? What motivates you to take part in the community?

@thankful: Generally, I had been looking online about health issues and found Mayo Clinic Connect. Initially, I sat back and read many posts and found several participants who really helped me think through my health issues.

JOHN: What about Connect makes you feel comfortable to share and to be open with the community?

@thankful: I enjoy the back-and-forth on many issues and the openness of the dialogue. We all agree we are not doctors or even health officials, but we have been in the trenches and can share from personal experience what works for us, and that adds to the discussion.

JOHN: What groups do you participate in?

@thankful:

• Heart & Blood Health
• Neuropathy
• Sleep Health
• Depression & Anxiety
• Just Want to Talk

JOHN: Who has been a special connection for you on Connect?

@thankful: I've really appreciated all the moderators and mentors. @johnbishop and @predictable are my favorites.

@predictable’s posts, his thoughtfulness and great questions he asked in them made me think that he could help me put together a few questions that would be helpful to ask the cardiologist when I was at Mayo Clinic. His response and the questions he gave me could act as a template for so many others. His compassion for others and wonderful discernment have helped me and I’m sure many others!

JOHN: What surprised you the most about Connect?

@thankful: Candor and gracefulness.

JOHN: What energizes you, or how do you find balance in your life?

@thankful: Well, my career as a remodeling contractor energized me for just over 40 years, but I just retired and am getting used to the new normal. My faith and family really help me find balance in my life. 

JOHN: Tell us about your favorite pastime or activity.

@thankful: I'm now getting time in retirement to rediscover some of my favorite activities and pastimes. I love to fly-fish using fly rods, as well as fish for steelhead and coho salmon in the local rivers of the Northwest. Home gardening is one of my favorite pastimes. I exercise pretty regularly and love to take long walks. We get to see our four grandchildren (and one more on the way) more frequently now.

JOHN: Do you have a favorite quote, life motto or personal mantra?

@thankful: Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

JOHN: What do you appreciate the most in your friends?

@thankful: Their ability to listen.

JOHN: What food can you simply not resist?

@thankful: Pretzels.

JOHN: If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see cast as you?

@thankful: Sean Connery.

JOHN: What do you love about where you live or vacation?

@thankful: Living in Oregon and midway in the Willamette Valley, we have a more temperate climate. We can be in the mountains or on the Pacific Ocean within an hour: the best of both worlds.

 JOHN: Puppies or kittens?

@thankful: Definitely puppies, but currently we have no dog.

See more Member Spotlights.