Chapter 1

In everyday life requires a person to constantly make a multitude of decisions. Some of those decisions are minor as what to wear, where to go or what to eat. Other decisions are major as where to live or what to do in life to earn a living. Nicholas Cramer or Nick as he was called now had a very important decision to make on where to work.

Nick was a dermatologist and for close to five years had been employed working for Paul Gages at a clinic which Paul owned. This clinic was located in the heart of LA. Paul let it be known that he would be retiring soon and inferred since it was never actually discussed that he was expecting Nick to be purchasing the clinic. The thought of Nick doing this was constantly on his mind. He was mentally debating the pros and the cons if he should be making this purchase when Paul asked him.

The biggest pro was the business. It was an established business that had a steady flow of patients which produced acceptable compensation.

The biggest negative was the building and where this clinic was located. The building as well as the neighborhood had deteriorated and changed over time. Being in this neighborhood at night was not the safest place to be. In fact one late afternoon Nick was walking to his car when he saw three men approaching him that to Nick looked they were ready to mug him and take his car. Thank God there was a police car slowly going by and slowed more to see what was going on. It turned out these men saw the police car and just walked by Nick giving him an evil look which told Nick he was one lucky guy.

In an attempt to take this purchasing subject off his mind for a few hours Nick entered the low net golf tournament at the country club he was a member of on Saturday.

Arriving at the club he could see the golf carts were setup for the shotgun start with the golf club bags already on the carts. In looking at the pairings he saw riding in the golf cart with him was to be Glen Waters. Nick knew Glen was a somewhat famous neurosurgeon mainly because of some of the patients he had successfully treated and the profile that was done on him by Time magazine. Nick had been introduced to Glen but this was the first time he would be golfing with Glen.

It was a good round of golf with Nick posting a seventy six and Glen posting an eighty three. The scores posted for the tournament would be adjusted by subtracting their handicaps which would reduce them to their net scores.

During the round Glen asked Nick how things were going and Nick mentioned what was going on with him having to decide if he wanted to buy this medical practice and the pros and cons of doing it.

Glen said, “For sure living or working in certain parts of the city does present its challenges to put it mildly. Admittedly the big city does afford many entertainment activities and opportunities for work and education. The small town living doesn’t normally have this safety consideration but the activities and educational opportunities are limited. One needs to make a significant decision on what they want to do in life in combination with where they want to live.”

“It was a little before your time but a good friend of mine, Doctor Steve Brandle who the Times once called the “Surgeon to the Stars” was a member here. He for sure was what could be called “a big city boy” because he fully enjoyed all that living in a big city offered. Steve developed a medical problem which had him change the type of medicine he practiced and he moved to a small town in Northern California called Lake Lancer, population some forty six hundred. This was a big change for him to do this move.”

“My wife and I have visited him a few times since he made this move. He told me this was the best decision he has ever made since there is where he met his wife Valerie. Valerie is the CEO of the Wilkinsing Foundation which is located there that handles the Physician Assistant Program along with the mobile Dentist and now Optometrist Program. I am sure you have seen those articles in the newspaper and the Sunday supplement that tell about what those programs do.”

“Steve has a nice house on the lake and is a member of a country club there that has a golf course that is rated in the top one hundred in the States. The cost for membership in that country club is about fifty percent less than what we pay here. Living in the right small town can be a good place to live for any number of reasons.”

Nick thanked Glen for telling him about Steve. Unfortunately what Glen said just gave Nick more to think about.

Having scheduled a two week vacation with nothing specifically planned Nick now debated on what to do during that time. What the hell he thought, he would just take a ride and go up to Lake Lancer and see what this small town living was all about. He would also ask the golf pro at his club to contact this country club Glen had mentioned that was there and make arrangements for Nick to be able to golf at this club.

The drive north to Lake Lancer was easy since for the most of it was all interstate driving except for last half hour which was on a State road. Nick saw the sign in entering the town which said the population was just over forty six hundred.

Nick’s first impression from what he saw was that it looked to be a nice small town. He drove by what looked like an elementary school that had a number of cars parked there but the sign in front said it was the Wilkinsing Foundation.

It was getting close to noon when Nick was approaching what the sign said was the medical clinic. On a hunch Nick pulled into the parking lot. He thought he would see if this Steve Brandle was there and if he wanted to go to lunch.

In walking up to the building he observed that the building was relatively new and that it looked like they were in the process of adding a two story addition to it.

At the front desk he told the receptionist who he was and that he would like to see Steve Brandle if he was available.

In a few minutes a man wearing a white lab coat that had the name of Doctor Steven Brandle on it came up to Nick and extended his hand. Nick shook the man’s hand.

“Troy didn’t tell me you would be here today. I guess he must have overlooked doing that” said Steve.

“Who is Troy?” said Nick.

“A Director of the Wilkinsing Foundation.”

“I haven’t met Troy but the person who told me about you was Glen Waters. We golfed in the same foursome and he told me a little about you and this town. I was hoping we could go to lunch and maybe you tell me more about this town and the reasons he said you like it so much.”