Six Months

Six months makes a difference. I saw that yesterday at work. There are certain questionnaires that we have our patients fill out for treatment and research purposes. One in particular is only approved for someone over the age of 18. One of our new patients is 17 1/2 and my boss asked a research assistant, who is also my receptionist, to give the questionnaire to the girl to fill out. The assistant refused saying that the girl was not yet 18. My boss said that it was okay. The assistant said it was not. The assistant, who is a graduate student enrolled in a PhD program, said that she would not give an unapproved questionnaire to someone underage no matter who told her to do so. It is a matter of ethics.  I agreed with her but my boss did not. The assistant said she would rather quit her job than do something that is not right. My boss had to give in. She never realized that the tough stand was to protect her in case the girl reacted poorly to the questions that the survey asked. I respect the assistant for having the moral fortitude to stand up for what is right.

Cemeteries At Disney

Disney should open up a new park named Cemetery at Disney. So many people live far away from their families and once their relatives are gone, they seldom fly home for the sake of visiting the cemetery. If there is no reason to be in a state other than to pay your respects, their beloved family members are never seen again. If Disney opened a theme park for that reason only, at least once every few years if not more, you could go and pay your respects. There could be an east coast and a west coast park to cover the entire country's deceased. A one day pass is all that is needed and flower shops would be available. When the visit is over, you drive down the road to the amusement park.

Webinar

Today I will be attending my first webinar. While I was away, my boss saw an ad for a webinar and she thought it would be a good topic for me to attend. It is on texting and Hipaa. She signed me up at a cost of $139. It was on a Wednesday at 10am so she thought it would be fine. She never stopped to see that the ad said 10am PST. Maybe she thought the ad was whispering to her like a secret, 10am pssssstt. Now at 1pm I have to sit and watch the seminar. I have to use someone else's office as my computer has no speakers. It will be right in the middle of the day when every doctor is walking around talking loud. I hope it ends promptly at 2pm because I do not want to stay longer on my time.

Summer Feeling

I went to sleep last night feeling like spring. I woke up feeling like summer. Nothing drastic happened weather wise but the world looks brighter to me. For the next three months people will come out of hibernation and be more active. Last summer I had a heavy heart and did not feel like doing much of anything. I am looking forward to rejoining the world this summer.

Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day, a day of remembrance. While it is generally thought to be a day to remember the Armed Forces, it is a day to remember everything. There is a saying that women have short hair and long memories. That describes me perfectly. I remember things that most people do not, in vivid detail. It is a gift and a curse. I remember that on this day, my niece was born. I remember the diner that I was sitting in with my in laws before we went to visit her. I can visualize the booth we sat in and which seat was mine. I remember my father in law forcing my mother in law to have more coffee. He thought a refill was free but it wasn't. I remember the look on his face as he scowled at the waiter when the check came. I remember going to the town parade with my sons. I remember barbecues with my parents. We all gathered under the large tree in the backyard and my mother always sat in the lounge chair. I remember pulling a chair close to her and holding her hand as we talked about the same things we discussed every day, but they always seemed new. The funny thing is that I do not remember last Memorial Day. My mother was still alive but I have no memory of that day. I guess I blocked it out as I knew it would be that last time she would be alive on that holiday and she was not doing well. I am glad that memory is not there because I would not want to relive it as I do the others.

Death and Love

Most people are afraid of death. They think of it as a final state of being. They feel it is the ending to what once was. While death is a powerful force, it has no power over love. When a life is over, the love it had created still survives. Death feels heavy while love feels light. What love has created, death cannot undo. If death is a dark room, love is the one tiny shining candle that can be seen from every angle.

Self Absorbed

It has happened again. Someone has died taking a selfie. I never understood the mindset of selfies. Why are people so self absorbed that they need to chronicle every life event. If no one else is with you to take the picture, you do it yourself. In the cases where the people have died, the scenario is always the same. They are standing on a high cliff with a beautiful view and have to capture the moment. Years ago we faced out and took a picture of the landscape. Now we face in and need our faces in the forefront and the view behind us. In order to focus better, backwards steps are taken. Step, step, step, fall. The ground has ended but the pose is still there. No one notices that you are close to the edge because they are looking at themselves in their own cameras. I feel so bad that someone has lost their life in such an unfortunate way.