ANCORA IMPARO

RICK RADER, MD ■ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

WE HAD IT ALL: To Have and Have Not paired 20-year-old Lauren Bacall in her debut with the aging Humphrey Bogart. Their connection was immediate, their chemistry electric. They were happily married until Bogart's death in 1957.

IMAGE COURTESY COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

Whistle Blower

Exceptional parents will never acknowledge or accept the idea that their team will call it quits. To them there is no final whistle; even when time runs out.

Being an "insider" as a result of the pandemic I have enjoyed the guiltless allowance of watching old movies. I recently saw a favorite of mine, To Have and Have Not (1944) starring Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart. This was Bacall's debut and it paired her as a 20-year-old with the aging Bogart. Their connection was immediate, their chemistry electric. The most memorable scene is when Bogart flirts with Bacall. At the height of their catand-mouse exchange about getting together, Bacall delivers her most famous line, "You don't have to say anything and you don't have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle."

She pauses and then delivers, "You know how to whistle, don't you Steve? Just put your lips together, and blow." While I'm sure Bogart knew how to whistle, it probably wasn't too loud. The average sound of the human whistle has a range of about 20 feet. Certainly not enough for competitive athletic events. Before the advent of whistles, umpires used handkerchiefs to signal to the players.

Ancient Egyptians first carved whistles out of gourds, while ancient Greeks used whistles to keep the stroke of galley slaves, and the English employed whistles to signal orders to archers during battle. Joseph Hudson invented the first brass whistle in 1870 and it became the official referee's whistle used in British football (soccer) matches in the late 1800's. By 1883, he designed a whistle that could produce an intense sound that could be heard over a mile away. This invention followed the formula of many innovations; it was derived from a well observed accident. Hudson accidently dropped his violin and watched it shatter on the floor. He was astonished by the "trill effect," the sound made by the discordance of the breaking strings. This led to his putting a pea in the whistle. His whistle was quickly adopted by the British police and the public quickly associated the sound of the whistle with that of responding constables.

WHILE YOU WORK: By the 1880s, British police had adopted Hudson's new whistle, which could be heard over a mile away; In the world of sports, whistles have been named as a potential instigator of viral spread.

Over the years, the whistle became the most recognizable sound in sports. Chantel Jennings sums it up, "It often marks the beginning and the end of an event, signals pauses and restarts in tense moments, and acts as an exclamation point after a big play. In the symphony of sport, the whistle is the soprano, crisp, distinct and capable of leaving one's ears ringing."

And while the potential for hearing damage due to repeated exposure to loud whistle blowing has caused sports medicine specialists to rethink the use of whistles, it appears as if COVID-19 will result in the whistles being relegated to the top shelf of the ref's lockers.

The mechanics of whistle blowing requires a deep breath and then a forced burst of droplet-filled air. Research has demonstrated that the potential for viral spread is directly related to the speed, intensity, and volume of the propelled droplets. The whistle has been named as a potential instigator of viral spread.

Enter the electronic whistle. It is operated with the push of a button and it features variable tones that can be selected and adjusted. The whistle is being tested by every major sports organizations (National Football League, National Basketball League, NCAA etc.) and has even gotten the attention of the White House. We might soon see the President of the United States using an electronic whistle to start the annual Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn. When you factor in the need for umpires to wear face masks, the use of a hand-held electronic whistle appears to be the choice for the future.

And while whistles announce the beginning and end of a competitive event, it is one sound that has never been respected by parents of children with special needs. For one thing the beginning of play is never at a specific point in time. The announcement that you are to begin being an exceptional parent comes at different times to different parents. Some begin when they hear the diagnosis from their pediatrician, or from teachers, or from watching their children at a play date, or thinking that this one is different from their first child. There isn't a two-minute whistle warning to announce the end of the game is approaching. There are few, if any pauses in the action for our parents. Exceptional parents will never acknowledge or accept the idea that their team will call it quits. To them there is no final whistle; even when time runs out.

In real life, Bogart and Bacall got together and were happily married until Bogart's death in 1957. It was obvious that both of them knew how to whistle and worked at perfecting it. The notion "to have," and "have not" appears to be the running theme in the lives of exceptional parents. • 

ANCORA IMPARO

In his 87th year, the artist Michelangelo (1475 -1564) is believed to have said "Ancora imparo" (I am still learning). Hence, the name for my monthly observations and comments. – Rick Rader, MD, Editor-in-Chief, EP Magazine Director, Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center Orange Grove Center, Chattanooga, TN