A Rambling Post

It's been almost three months since I last blogged. It's hard to believe that much time has gone by.

The last few weeks of my first quarter ended with a bang. Literally. After taking my written points test, I totaled my 2000 Honda Civic. It was the car that I had bought after my car in New Orleans drowned. 

I put a lot of work and money into it the summer before school started so that it would last through my years as a poor graduate student.

When the airbags blew, the driver bag hit my right hand and sprained the ring finger, little finger, palm and wrist. It made taking the rest of my finals quite a challenge. It's still stiff and swells up painfully after lots of note taking. It does get better every week.

I went to New Orleans for break and basically collapsed while I was there. The bright Caribbean sun, floral scented air, live music, and amazing food revived me. I was so grateful to be back in my beloved city.

Room with a View

The View

Preservation Hall, Christmas Eve 2010

I returned rejuvenated and ready to take on my second quarter. I was guided to teach, for free, the Reiki I and II classes to my fellow students. It's gone amazingly well. Early in the month, on Saturday afternoon, we meet to exchange Reiki. The last Saturday of the month, I teach the Reiki class. This quarter I have 13 students. I already have 8 students signed up for next quarter.

It's such a joy to share this modality. I believe it will enhance everyone's ability to feel Qi and help them survive their next three to four years as grad students. With Reiki, you first learn to practice on yourself. Brilliant.

I bought a new car because my student loan debt just wasn't high enough. But it's cute and it goes, "Zoom-zoom!"

Kermit

The irony of going to medical school is that it's very stressful, yet the number one killer is stress. I read a great article in Wired magazine that those of us who choose stress (like going to grad school, or taking a promotion) have an advantage over those who have little or no control over the stress in their lives (low paying job with no power). That's not very comforting in the midst of test taking, I gotta say.

This week has been especially hard for me. Today is the 37th anniversary of my stepfather's death. "Hmmm," you might say, "aren't you over it already?"

What I know of death is that the pain never goes away, it only gets easier to live with. Most years the anniversary comes along and I'm just mildly grumpy. But every now and then, a hard one hits. Like this year.

I find that with the stress of being in school, of studying every single day, that there are some emotional events that grow to monsterous sizes. Other stresses that would normally bother me, don't because I simply don't have time to be upset when a test is looming.

This year, I very much miss my stepdad, Don. I feel raw, am having crying jags, and am just not into much of anything. I decided that I would skip class and have a mental health day. I don't get much time to myself or any time off. Today is it.

The sun has broken through the fog. I'm taking Kieran for a very long walk. See you all on the other side...