Food For Thought

I’m on a rant today….sorry….In our fast paced world these days, we are quickly forgetting that simple things are the best. There are social networking sites where everyone wants to be your friend but that’s more because it’s a race to prove to everyone else that they have the most friends. You’ve seen those shows where people get all excited because they’ve reached “X” number of friends on their Facebook site or some other one. Yay I have a bazillion friends…!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whatever happened to enjoying the friends you have right in front of you, and please don’t spend time with friends texting them when they’re sitting across the room from you. Talk to them, yes, actually talk…speak words.

People don’t take the same pride in their jobs that they once did, a simple thing like a smile is becoming a thing of the past, “can I help you find something”, how often do you hear that anymore. For the most part I can say that here in my small town at least those things do still exist in most places. But really, how often do you hear it. I like this picture, this man looks like he really enjoys his work.

When you watch the news, what do you see.??? “We have breaking news”, and it’s usually some celebrity whose just been sent back to jail or just released or said something off key in a drunken state…

Like why do I care, I want to hear news of the day that has some value, news that has some significance, not news about who is breaking up with who or whose the latest celeb to get caught doing something naughty…Good grief, give me something meaningful to listen to. The one journalist who deserves the title as the “Best” has now retired, and I doubt there will be another like him. You could always count on him to give you a balanced point of view, none of the sensationalism that others think is interesting. He had his facts and best of all, when he brought his guests on he actually let them talk and tell us what we tuned in to hear. Enjoy your retirement Bill Moyers, you deserve it.

I could go on and on about what I see around me, but I’ll stop before your head keels over on your keyboard and I’ve put you to sleep reading all this. But I do have to end on the thing that started this rant. It was this email that came to my inbox this morning. The one line in this that really hit me, was near the end….it starts with…. “She doesn’t know me…and I will leave you to read the whole thing…. Have a wonderful week…and remember to touch base with those who really matter and give someone a smile, it doesn’t cost anything….

The Rain

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.

He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?' He smiled as he patted my hand and said,

'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.'

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, 'That is the kind of love I want in my life." True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

With all the jokes and fun that are in e-mails,sometimes there is one that comes along that has an important message. This one I thought I could share with you. The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

'Life isn't about how to survive the storm,
But how to dance in the rain.'

We are all getting Older, tomorrow may be our turn.

Enjoy life now-it has an expiration date!