I never really know what is going to come out in these posts. I just sit down and start to babble. I try to be relevant, present, and humorous if possible. I recently attended a leadership conference with my place of employment. I remember as I was watching the division president (who is very cool) stand on stage and give his presentation, I thought, “Damn, I wish I could do that!” He was captivating. It was almost like I was watching T.V. I kind of chuckled to myself, as he paced back and forth reading from the teleprompter on the floor. My thoughts were exactly this, ” hmm, are they going to ask for money at the end, how did he get that suit to look that good, did I see him on a church program, where is the bathroom I really need to pee?”
My company always has a story from someone that was impacted by our care. This year we had two and I cried at both of them. I am a nurse and that means a lot to me. I have worked really hard to earn my degrees and I know the value that we have and the impact that we make everyday. Sure there are times when we cut up and make jokes, but it is necessary to be able to deal with some of the things that nurses deal with. We can have every range of emotion during a shift. A quick glimpse at a 12 hours shift can be joy for a birth or a life revived, sadness for a dying patient or their crappy family taking them for their money, and even anger at the system and the insurance companies. Sometimes the people that need the most help get none and the people that don’t need help get it all.
Nevertheless, by the end of 2 days, I was sold! I drank the kool-aid. It really was inevitable I mean they served really great food and that just makes me melt into submission. It’s how I ended up married the second time and what now keeps me married now! You might be thinking to yourself, “what the hell is she talking about?” Well, let me explain it to you.
I met my second husband before I divorced the first. No, I didn’t cheat. Actually, I was left at my cousins house to “learn” how to be a good wife. His words not mine! During that time, my cousin and his best friend spent a lot of time together and therefore I spent a lot of time with my cousins best friend! I finally got divorced and he made good on that meal that he kept promising to cook me . Ah, steak and lobster. I really wish I had known that the wedding meal would be frozen, the food would be cold, and the cake that you save for your 1 year anniversary would be lost. Now, it is the ice cream and the secret candy bars I buy when no one is looking that keeps me going.
Midlife Ahead 