Mehitabela’s Blog

It’s hard to believe that there is only one more week in this semester! It really flew. I had a great experience shadowing an ortho doctor last clinical; his residents were funny. As a massage therapist I know a little more about bones, nerves, and muscles than the average nursing student and I was amused when I asked the doctor’s fellow a question about the ramifications of amputation on the origin and insertion of thigh muscles and the man tried (kindly) to dumb it down for me so I could understand! I disabused him of a few things and we got on famously after that:) The fellow was asking the residents questions about what nerve came out superior to the piriformis and what it innervated and what the leg actions relating to it were and I was able to answer before one resident could fumble his way through-and got it right!!

I did make a pretty stupid mistake however; the fellow had asked me to hold a patient’s arm while it was casted, which I did…WITHOUT GLOVES! Needless to say, I had sticky, gunky cast glue all over my fingers for hours until I got home and used WD-40 to scrub it off!

The other experience with the wound care nurses at another hospital I am much less enthusiastic about. These nurses were rude and careless, refused to explain procedures, and got their kicks out of making us feel inadequate. Oh well, bound to be a few rotten apples!

Recently we had a large, rather messy blow-up in my family. Things were said and done that created a sizable, possibly irreparable rift between two family members. The problem is that the younger of the two involved, who married into this clan is not aware of what constitutes a formal, respectful apology. The older of the two is very proper and although a significant coolness and pointed politeness has accented his conversation when in the younger man’s presence, he is consistently courteous. The younger man seems to be unaware of his lack of proper apology. A few days after the incident, he telephoned the older man and said he needed to talk to him but didn’t want to do it over the phone and could the older man come over to his house. This upset the older man, who felt that he shouldn’t have to take a trip to recieve his apology so he declined with rather killing politeness. Since then, the younger man considers the subject closed. The fact that the older man is unfailingly polite when they meet apparently led him to believe that any past problem has been, if not resolved, at least swept under the rug, which is how the younger man’s family deals with blow-ups. The young man has done everything that his people do to make something up to someone; he thanks the older man profusely for any small assistance that would normally just warrant a casual “thanks”, he makes certain to speak to him politely each time they meet, and has tried to “show” that the incident will not reccur by his actions. The problem came up again because the younger man is expecting a substantial amount of money and wants to take the whole family out to an expensive dinner. The older man says he has yet to recieve an apology from the younger man and while he will not be rude when they meet, he is not willing to be treated to dinner by this man at this time.

My problem is this; how do you show a person how to properly apologize without rubbing his upbringing in his face?

The way I was raised dictates that I be polite and respectful to my elders, apologize promptly and face to face, as well as ask the offended person what I could do to rectify the situation.

I understand that some people were not raised this way, and on some level I feel that the older man, being aware of the differences in upbringing, should take into account that the young man lacks polish in some areas and that he should be held to a lower standard than someone  reared in polite society.

Reading my last sentence made me cringe because I hate class snobbery and elitism. That said, there is an undeniable difference in etiquette between cultures, races, classes, and generations that cannot be disregarded.

If anyone has suggestions or comments, I would greatly appreciate them as I am at a complete loss  in this situation.

I have come to the conclusion that yesterdays happenings were directly related to the fact that the moon is almost full. I’m back at my favorite study spot today, and so far I’ve been accosted with a request to look up whether Heinz Hall is hiring or not (by a little lady with multiple scarves and two knit caps), had the gentleman at the next table loudly discourse on the fact that the phrase “whatever works for you” doesn’t work for him, and finally, a man who came in, stood in front of the counter for about ten minutes laughing at absolutely nothing and then left abruptly. I shudder to think of what the Presby ED looks like right now and am extremely glad I have not yet graduated.

So, here I am once again at the 61c cafe, studying. Typically, nothing very interesting happens here. Customers come and go with their coffee and their textbooks and laptops in a steady stream of humanity. But tonight I saw something so intriguing that I had to stop and blog!

I had just gone out to stretch my legs and give my poor soggy brain some air when a man walked past with an enormous black garbage bag that jingled with each stride he took. And from a small hole somewhere in that bag, a slow trickle of pennies clinked out, rolling neatly down the sidewalk behind him. He would glance down occasionally but did not break his stride and eventually vanished from sight. I assume he was headed for the Coinstar machine in the Giant Eagle.

That was certainly strange, but ok, maybe he had so many pennies that he wasn’t concerned about a paltry few 2000 or so.

Then, up and down the street, I began to be aware of people stooping to pick up the errant pennies. People crossed the street, changed directions, and called to friends. People used their cell phones, transferred things to other pockets, all scurrying around bending and stooping…like pigeons after breadcrumbs. Business men with brief cases, ties loosened, hunted through the dusk for change. Mothers with children in tow were juggling grocery bags while they demurely dipped to secure a couple of extra cents. The children themselves ran shrieking gleefully after the “candymoney”. An older gentleman, scooping pennies up in the middle of the street where the pennyman had crossed used his cane to push a few toward the sidewalk where he could safely get them. Cars were slowing, puzzled drivers rolling down windows and gawping at the generally staid Squirrel Hillians scramble up and down the twilit street in search for change.

As for me, I was fervently wishing for my digital camera.

The pennyman did not come back and I finally made my way back into the cafe to hit the books but I will never forget the weirdity of tonight and the way the people moved, like a dance, after the loosed pennies.

Sitting at the 61C again on an absolutely gorgeous Sunday where the snow is noisily melting outside and the sun is blindingly glancing off the few remaining icicles decorating the Murray Avenue awnings. I have my second exam on Monday and I should be reviewing renal and thyroid function right now. George is at home with Sage and he called to tell me he was going to pack the baby in the backpack carrier and take him out for a walk. Sounds divine!

George was away at the cottage this weekend with his friends (all guy weekend trip) and just came back this morning. I’m glad he had a few days to decompress…boy could I use some! I miss him when he’s gone–the bed seems much too big, even though when he’s home I complain about how he sprawls and hogs the covers.

Back to the dreadful thyrotoxicosis and tubular necrosis flashcards! If I don’t post by Monday night, you may all assume that I had to retire from nursing school in disgrace, after recieving the lowest grade in history!

Wish me luck!