Month: February 2017

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Memory submitted by Jim Swartley

When did you meet Mickey?
1971

Where did you meet him?
Lakenheath

Memory of Mickey
Mickey was my “go to guy”. When I was a newly commissioned general medical officer in the Air Force he was always there to back me up or correct my errors while in England. Since then I have seen him most summers on our numerous TGE vacations. He was always available to answer personal medical questions over the years including encouraging me to have an MRI when I had a headache which turned out to be a subdural hematoma which needed treatment. He also gave me appropriate advise regarding a defibrillator after my heart attack. All this came after he was a “shrink” not an internist. But I always valued his opinion and will miss that.

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Memory submitted by Steven Reidbord

When did you meet Mickey?

Where did you meet him?
1BOM

Memory of Mickey
I greatly respected Mickey Nardo’s approach to psychiatry, which animated his blog and gave it heart. He proved that thoughtful criticism can arise from careful analysis flavored with wisdom and experience, and that it can be presented respectfully, without polemics and theatrics. Mickey had a knack for slamming the hypocritical and self-serving without slamming the profession he clearly loved. I was particularly impressed by his close reading of the literature, and by his ability to attend to minute details of research design and presentation. Mickey was, in all these ways, a colleague I looked up to and admired.

There are plenty of defenders of today’s mainstream psychiatry, and many critics as well. And there are countless others who don’t care one way or the other. But there was only one Dr. Nardo, who lent both his heart and brain to improving our field. I’m glad to have known him, if only online.

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Memory submitted by Carl Mahoney

When did you meet Mickey?
1971

Where did you meet him?
USAF Hospital, RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, England

Memory of Mickey
I was watching “Eyes on the Prize” last night and could hardly stop thinking about friend Mickey. I remember probing him after dinners at Lidgate Hall to explain for me what I needed to know about the Civil Rights movement in America. You see, I was 12 when LBJ signed the Voting Rights Act in 1964. My worldview was perfectly solipsistic while friend Mickey had been paying attention throughout the period. By the time he and Sharon “adopted” me, I was 19 and beginning to pay attention and certainly had impressions and concerns of the then current social and political milieu (Richard Nixon was our Commander in Chief for goodness sake!). As all who have contributed to these pages will attest, Mickey’s assessment of very nearly anything at all was thorough, measured, well supported with data , engaging and, though he might be ill-at-ease with this characterization, NEVER wrong!

I enjoyed a lot of quality time with Mickey, Sharon, and Abby back then and it has been an ongoing and much cherished gift across the lifespan. In keeping with a theme noted by other contributors, I include photos of Mickey and my ‘chilren (as Al would say). On 10/28/98, Dr. Mickey arrived in the delivery room a few minutes after my son, Eric emerged from the womb…he’d brought a sack of fried chicken from the Church’s up the street from the hospital in Decatur! I love the picture of Mickey and Kate doing crafts that Mickey brought along; he genuinely liked the company of children and they sure did reciprocate that sentiment.

Y’all should have been there the day he diagnosed a case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in rural Suffolk, England! His brilliance shall not soon diminish given how much he gave to so many. What a man, our friend Mickey.

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Memory submitted by Vicki Ledet

When did you meet Mickey?
1998

Where did you meet him?
Through Sharon

Memory of Mickey
Sharon and I met in Atlanta 20 years ago and through our friendship over the years I got to know Mickey. And over the years life would happen, she would pass the phone over to him, and he would help not only me, but at times my eldest daughter as well as a friend of mine whom he never met, to reason things out. Mickey had a remarkable way of cutting to the chase and helping us all sort out the next right steps to take. I can’t begin to count the # of times I’ve applied “Don’t accept an invitation to go crazy” in my life to wonderful effect. He never knew how much trouble he kept me out of! I’ll probably never really know how much trouble I kept me out of! And the ripple effect of Mickey’s insight has benefitted many more friends of mine who, when they’ve talked things over w/ me, heard me channel those words of wisdom. (I always gave him quote credit:) Like I said – Mickey knew how to cut to the chase. And he had a remarkable way about him. If Ruth and Billie were still walking among us they would no doubt be very enthusiastically adding to the Mickey stories. What I remember most about the very small piece of their friendship that I saw was how their faces would light up when he walked in and the energy in the room would practically sparkle. He was good to them and they loved him.

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Memory submitted by Howard Morland

When did you meet Mickey?
1958

Where did you meet him?
Chattanooga

Link

Memory of Mickey
My first real encounter with Mickey Nardo was in 1958 or so. I was giving him a ride home from school during our junior year at Chattanooga High School. It must have been a weekend, because I didn’t drive our family car on weekdays. I had moved into Mickey’s Brainerd neighborhood back during junior high, but owing to a religious experience (which nearly ruined my life) I shunned all members of the hell-raising crowd Mickey ran with. Then Mickey disappeared into the bowels of McCallie school, the local military prep school where his father was football coach. It was punishment for his delinquent ways, but he returned to public school after taking the cure. (I am paraphrasing his account.)

He did not share my obsession to participate in every possible non-sport extra-curricular activity, essentially the high school show business culture. But he was present on Stunt Night, the biggest show biz event of the year, where Miss Chattanooga High School was crowned. He escorted the winner. I escorted a member of the court. Anyway, back to the car ride, which seemed to be a bonding event. We agreed that each of us could be a straight-A student with as little as ten minutes of study per night. Neither of us was willing to put in that much study time outside of school. It was a mutual boast. We could do it, but we didn’t want to be that nerdy about it.

We completely lost touch after high school. I knew he went to medical school in Memphis, along with a small Chattanooga delegation. I set my sights on being an astronaut, but ended up being an ex-Air Force pilot war protester and hippy world traveler. We reconnected forty years after high school when the class of 1960 was reassembled in cyberspace.

The master of the new email list started peppering us with right-wing jokes. Since the entire email list was visible on every missive, a reply-all went to everybody. I objected to one of his jokes and called attention to the looming war with Iraq, to which I also objected. Mickey came to my defense, and the class soon sorted itself into liberals and conservatives. At least one classmate professed to be thrilled that the touted “leaders of tomorrow” were having a serious policy debate. But several people were offended, and a consensus was reached to use the list only for class reunion announcements and personal milestones, i.e., death announcements.

We continued our renewed friendship via email and visits every year or so. After one of our visits to Mickey and Sharon at their retirement log cabin in Jasper, we met my wife Barby’s former college roommate, Joanna Adams, in Atlanta. She had become a celebrated pastor of Presbyterian churches, and she knew Mickey well. She volunteered that when Mickey retired and moved to Jasper, Atlanta lost its best shrink.

We will miss him greatly, and we are astonished to learn how many other people will miss him as well. His friends are legion. He had a deep connection to many people. He was one of the smartest and most compassionate people you will ever meet. Goodbye, Mickey.

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Memory submitted by Mary Ellen & Alan Johnson

When did you meet Mickey?
2010

Where did you meet him?
Grandview Lake

Memory of Mickey
Mickey was our Grandview Lake Corporation chair when we met him during our Georgia Adopt-A-Lake monthly monitoring project. I didn’t know he was a physician for a long time as he didn’t fit the mold. I got to know his wit and commitment to our BBQ socials as he and Al Clayton matched wit, stories, and tall tales – Alan was privileged to spend hours listening to the “old guys” watching the fires, drinking coffee, and just being with each other. I learned how highly Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center valued his service there – his patients loved him – and it was my job to figure out his writing on the Patient Assistance Program scripts and follow up with his patients to make sure I was interpreting the scripts/directions in my volunteer capacity in PDAP.

Sharon and I began a twice a week exercise program at the YMCA in Canton, and I learned that Mickey and Sharon were liberal democrats, just like us, in a sea of conservatives! Even many of their Morningside friends were democrats in Pickens County!

Alan helped Mickey set up a scientific weather station, as the researcher in Mickey enjoyed checking the measurements.

My last Mickey story was at the end of January 2017 when I called Sharon to confirm I was picking her up that Friday. She was obviously busy getting ready, but Mickey answered the phone not with a “Hello,” but “Build the Wall, Build the Wall, Build the Wall!” I laughed for a week with that answer, as Trump had just been inaugurated, and the idea was so incredible.

I know there were other stories, but until recently, Mickey was a larger than life character so full of life and perspective that I couldn’t imagine such a vibrant personality leaving us so soon! All I can say is that his work must have been done, and he was allowed to leave his bad back on earth, and perhaps mentor another personality to continue his work from another realm.

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Memory submitted by Ove

When did you meet Mickey?
2015

Where did you meet him?
Through his blog and association with David Healy

Memory of Mickey
I went to his blog from time to time. He wrote very well and many times with much appreciated humor. I hope his family knows, or will know, how much “1BOM” meant to us who experienced the darker side of our medications. I eat Paxil, the drug Mickey Nardo was re-researching as a part of the “study 329” RIAT-team. Condolences from Ove, Sweden.

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Memory submitted by Nicole Khoury

When did you meet Mickey?
1989

Where did you meet him?
Atlanta, through Abby

Memory of Mickey
Let me preface this by saying I wish I had been able to spend more time with Dr. Nardo. I only met him on a few occasions spanning many years, and always when visiting with my dear friend Abby.

My first impression upon entering the Nardo’s wonderful Morningsde home was that of warmth, intelligence, and perhaps a bit of organized chaos. Dr. Nardo (I never really referred to him as ‘Mickey’) was probably sitting amongst stacks of books and papers, effortlessly smart and cool. He may have made me a bit nervous initially, as I can be amongst highly accomplished and brilliant people. I remember thinking that the old adage that messy people are usually very intelligent DEFINITELY applied in this case. (Abby, I think your bedroom was also fair game!). Despite the initial formalities, Abby and I either would hang out in her room chatting (plotting?) about the typical young life crises (boys, college, career choices, etc.) or depart for another venue to make the most of Abby’s brief visits to Atlanta. I regret I didn’t have more opportunities to linger at the house with Abby and her folks. I like to imagine the four of around a table, like the “salons” of old, discoursing about science, the arts, politics, and who knows what else. I’m sure Dr. Nardo would have routinely stumped me with his profound insights and inquiries but then again, I’ve always liked being in the company of people who are smarter and wittier than I am.

I thank Dr. Nardo and Sharon deeply for meshing their best qualities into Abby, a friend for life. We both grew up valuing family, education, self-reliance, questing for knowledge scientific or otherwise, and holding our love of music closest to our hearts. Dr. Nardo’s accomplishments as a scientist, medical provider, and general observer of life are indeed preserved on paper, but his finest contributions live on forever in his family and friends.

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Memory submitted by Katy Henderson

When did you meet Mickey?
2008

Where did you meet him?
At My House

Memory of Mickey
Abby brought Mickey and Sharon to a gathering at my house. I am not sure if it was a cookout, or a Flag Day party, or if we had just invited them to come and spend an afternoon out on our deck talking and eating food. I knew Mickey would be drinking copious amounts of coffee and wanted to be prepared. I asked Abby how he took his coffee and she said he liked the pink sweetener. We had none in the house, so I sent JD on a special trip to the store to get some Sweet N Low.

I don’t remember anything else specific about that first meeting, but my best memories of meeting Mickey and spending time with him are always outside, on someone’s deck or just in the backyard, gathered with lots of people. Mickey would just be smiling, talking, listening, raconteur-ing, and generally making a big, genial circle around himself, no matter the occasion.

My heart goes out to all who knew and loved him, especially Abby and Sharon. He was a truly remarkable person, and anyone whose life he touched was the better for it.

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Memory submitted by Jennie Clayton

When did you meet Mickey?
1976

Where did you meet him?
Through my parents. Egg Roast!

Memory of Mickey
Starting at the beginning. Mid 70’s. Mickey and Sharon. I remember Abby from Inman Middle School where I worked with Mrs. Suchanek and the children in the band. Spunky little blonde girl. So talented. Dad talked about Mickey being a shrink. That’s about all I knew.

The egg roasts with Grandy, Mickey, and the rest of the folks, were a huge highlight of the year for our family. I went to be with all the other kids, but my father went to be with Andy and Mickey. Our conversations usually revolved around where Andy would hide the egg this year. Which team we’d be on, etc… Dad loved to go several days before to get everything ready. The 3 old men had their great time together around that firepit. Wonderful company. Food. Baptisms. Music. Camping. Memories.

I remember Sharon being in charge of keeping up with how many eggs were remaining, counting the donations for the prizes and reminding us when a clue would be coming up. All of my boys were baptized down in Shiloh with these people who have become family. We all signed a document acknowledging our presence at this important event.

Years later, I would be baptized at Lake Grandview by Andy. This same core group of people attended. Signed as witnesses. Mickey gave me a book that was an important one for him. He signed it “Got me through 10 years – Love,
Mickey”

He left a couple of papers in the book for me.

One read: My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. – Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude

While Dad and Mickey had been friends for decades, I’d say the last few years of their friendship were the most treasured for me. Dad’s health declined significantly. Mickey was there for him the entire way. Both Mickey and Sharon came to stay in Nashville while testing was going on at Vanderbilt. Dad had difficulty walking and this hindered their mid-morning lunch time. Mickey would drive to the back of the house so Dad could make it to his Jeep for the ride. This went on until Dad couldn’t make it to the Jeep at all. Mickey visited daily. A true example of friendship. He spent the afternoon with Dad on the day before Dad died. They were able to be with me the morning Dad passed away. As I’m writing this, it doesn’t feel like justice is being done to this person and the relationship he had with my father. I bet they’ll be fine with it, though.

I’ve told my boys one of the most important things in life is to create a ripple effect. When you can help someone you need to help them, and that goodness will go on and on. I’m so fortunate to have been a part of Mickey and Sharon’s ripple in this world.