06/27/2022    Michael M. Rosenblatt, DPM

The Atheists and The Podiatrist

Years ago, in the early 2000s I attended a
Skeptic’s Society Seminar that invited a group of
interesting speakers. Among them were some well-
known cosmologists, other scientists and members of
the Templeton Foundation which funds meetings
between atheists and religious speakers. This
particular meeting was hugely interesting and
consequential. Dr. Michael Shermer, PhD. is the
founder of the Skeptic’s Society. I met him there.

He is a very nice person with what he regards as an
honest perception of Reality. I would characterize
him as “gracious.” At the time, I was a member of
the Skeptic’s Society. I had understandable
confusion of the issues of God vs. the Holocaust. I
am sure I am not the only person who was (and still
is) confused by this.

There were also some very well-known cosmologists,
some who were professors at the University of
California. The meeting was held (I believe) at the
University of California at Pasadena. I did not
rent a car to attend. This may have more
significance as I continue with my story. My motel
was about 2 miles away. I recall that the
auditorium was not in the best of neighborhoods.
But I did not know this at the time.

It was very well attended, with about 300+
participants. The auditorium was almost filled. A
wide range of attendees, from quite old, and much
younger were represented. I assume that from the
title, most of the audience were atheists. I
recorded the speakers (since it was apparently
allowed). As far as I know, and I think I do know,
I was the only podiatrist there.

This was one of the most unusual professional
experiences with the public I ever had. It remains
as a totally unexpected highlight of my
professional designation. All the more so because
it was entirely unexpected. I should also mention
that during these years, the “runner’s World”
experience was active for many people.
I sat at the front row right stage to get a good
vantage point for my audio recordings. We
introduced ourselves to others in the audience as
many were curious about what others did for a
living. I had just retired. I mentioned I was a
podiatrist.

The response to this was at once and remains
totally unexpected. The fact that I was a
podiatrist somehow registered with the members of
the audience. All of a sudden, a line appeared, as
if by magic during the intermission, with members
of the audience waiting in line to speak with me
about their orthotics and running shoes. It was as
if I had lit a spark that erupted in a mass
response.

I don’t want to aggrandize this, but TWO speakers
at the seminar, one a very famous cosmologist, also
appeared in the line at the end of the first day!
He is a very nice, brilliant person who classifies
himself, to this day as an atheist. I won’t mention
his name, but he also had orthotics he wanted to
show me with questions about his mileage. You may
know who he is. I’ll leave it at that.

It became time to head back to the hotel. I
mentioned that I did not have transportation. As if
by an unknown cosmologic force a group of people
appeared to take me back. There was a kind of
competition over this “event.” One of the young
men took off his shoes to show me the effects of an
ankle surgery he had for a fracture, with questions
about possibly protruding screws in the installed
hardware. Even after a year from the surgery, he
was still symptomatic and quite concerned.

Another young man in the car was not pleased about
the “attention” this prior surgery patient was
getting and politely suggested that “it was now his
turn.” We got to the hotel and sat in the lobby as
I tried to answer HIS questions. In this case, with
both of his shoes off. Another attendee stopped by
and politely suggested that it was “time to leave
me alone.”

The next and final day was a general repeat. I had
been identified. There were lines of people asking
podiatric questions then too. My intermissions were
essentially taken up by this.
At the end of the seminar, I decided instead to
call a cab to the hotel. I called a cab, but nobody
showed up. I could have asked for transportation
from attendees but wanted the time to set up my
recording tapes.

I waited outside in (what is a bad neighborhood) in
vain for a cab to come, but it took almost 2.5
hours to get one. I would have walked back, but one
of the taxi dispatchers said that “it was not a
good idea.” Finally a cab came. I expressed my
anger about being told a cab would come, but only
one apparently wanted to “chance” the bad
neighborhood I was in.

These were the days before Uber or Lyft. So I had
no other choice. Over the years I have tried to
find an explanation for this bizarre experience of
podiatry-curiosity. I concluded that this group of
people were very active and interested in foot
health, during the “running craze.” They CERTAINLY
knew what a podiatrist was!

I never since or previously experienced anything
like this. I have since turned away from atheism in
the wake of the new cosmology and fine tuning of
the Cosmos. I am no longer a member of the
Skeptic’s Society.

I will never forget this. I still remember most of
it like yesterday. The public recognition for
podiatry there was astonishing. There are two other
unique aspects to this experience:

1. What you think about your future in your second
year of podiatry school is most probably
inaccurate.

2. By God orchestrating this for me at a
“convention of atheists” demonstrates that he has a
unique sense of humor.

Michael M. Rosenblatt, DPM, Retired, Henderson, NV

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