“The Thinker”

“The Thinker” (French:  Le Penseur) is a bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin, often placed on a stone pedestal.  The work is of a nude male figure over life-size sitting on a rock with his chin resting on one hand as though in deep thought… (Wikipedia)

Sitting the other day in my favorite spot of meditation, due to the amount of time spent in this position and place, I realized something about the sculpture called “The Thinker” which had never occurred before to me.  The “thinking position” of the sculpted male is exactly the position that older men choose when trying to fully empty their bladder.  This prolonged sitting position places extra pressure and weight upon the bladder, so the “forceful squeeze” of this important organ is enhanced to the point that a reluctant bladder can be more fully extracted of its precious contents than while standing upright.  For older men with prostate hypertrophy this can be a most helpful position.

Older men sometimes find the process of emptying the bladder to be a constricting and prolonged exercise in finally obtaining relief.  Having experienced this myself on more than one occasion, I can testify on behalf of older men.  To fully empty one’s bladder, an older man can take some time, perhaps ten, fifteen or twenty minutes.  Why is this so?  This is because the bladder, once stretched to its maximum limit of size takes a long time to fully contract.  Until the bladder has contracted to its original size and position, the last golden drop of urine cannot be fully extracted to obtain the maximum and most satisfying relief.

There are, of course, medications to help this process along, one famously called “Flomax” which speaks volumes and is a life-saver for many.  There is also a process of trimming the prostate, affectionately referred to by students of the body and mind as “the roto-rooter.”  In the past actual blades were involved, or so I am told, but today in the modern era lasers suffice for this procedure.  Simply eliminating tissue pressing down onto the ureter as it passes through the enlarged prostate is enough for a cure for most.   It may take a few days to fully recover, but who is counting days?  “Oh, what a relief it is,” or so I am told!

I have discovered, as an old man who has done his fair share of thinking in my own small, but coveted room, decorated only by a magazine box brimming over with multiple catalogs and a few thought provoking books, this room is the one room in the home which is sacrosanct to the older male.  In other words, this is the one place where a man who is inclined to deep thinking or shallow thoughts can retire to and remain mostly undisturbed.  However, in my home there is one old cat, who continually tries to burst open the door, as he alone seems to desire to accompany his old man in this process.  Others, people and pets included, all shy away!

The “thinking process” can sometimes be prolonged.   And if fatigued, a person can fall asleep in this relaxed position, although a falling off is an immediate danger while sleeping sitting down.  But to escape to this quiet closet brings immense happiness and delight.  The “noise, noise, noise” of the general household recedes into the background of the night, as the whirring fan in the ceiling ramps up to hurricane force winds, obliterating even the most noxious of noises.

I have tried to remember what original thoughts have occurred for me in this “thinking room.”  I wonder if Auguste Rodin was moved to create this marvelous sculpture after a prolonged time of meditation himself.  We will never know, of course, as the process of inspiration and creation is often not fully known even to the artist.

Later in life, a person comes to appreciate certain things and have new thoughts about the most mundane aspects of life, which he never even thought to consider in his youth.  The extra time enjoyed later in life for meditation processes yields new ideas and thoughts never appreciated before.  The aging process and prolonged thinking is said to bring new wisdom and insights into the meaning of life’s mysteries.  I am still waiting for the insights and the wisdom, but I can say, “By God, I have found some real and precious relief!”

Bill Wilson, MD