Sheherazade

What do you suppose a room full of 40 and 50-something year old nurses and doctors look like when they're belly-dancing? Shimmying and shaking, hip thrusting, veil-wearing, tassels jangling, good old belly-dancing. I've always been told that it's much more challenging than it looks. And, if you're trying really hard not to look like a washing machine on overdrive, or like you have a severe movement disorder, it is. I've also been told that it doesn't matter how old you are, or what body shape you have, you can still look damn sexy doing it. Which is also true.

German Patient

Adultery count is at nine... at least this guy had the decency to marry the woman first before taking her beauty and her womanliness from her. On the other hand, he then left her with two kids, when he decided he was no longer 'called' to be with her, and was 'called' to pursue someone else...

Baywatch Beauty

How does one move from being an umpire to becoming a lifeguard? Moving from facemask, cleats and whatever that thing they wear to the freedom of a tank top and some swimming trunks? I think there's quite an allegory in there that I have to work on; blessings to CEMC for that.
Speaking of Beauties, I've had the privilege of meeting an amazing woman in the last few weeks: working on the Big Picture, moving on down the Narrow Road, following the Great Commander into the unreached places. Wow! I think I've been blessed by that too... it's been a bit complicated, as there are some mitigating factors that have been mentioned several times before in this blog in various enigmatic (or maybe not so enigmatic) ways... I think maybe because I see myself, what I would have been, what I -am-, what I have been, what I continue to actually be at the heart of things, what I could have been, what I should have been, had my road been a little bit different than it has been over the past few years... which is bittersweet: I have been humbled and amazed by a passionate Beauty, but in that mirroring, I see my pale reflection from the past that is ?lost ?unrecoverable ?stolen by a thief who has no interest in giving it back?

ATLS need not apply

I watched someone die today. It's been a while since someone has died in front of me for non-traumatic reasons. Usually, I get called in after the fact in order to register their death with the government. However, today, they just happened to die while I was there. And I stood there, and did nothing. Nothing, while her daughter held her hand and said goodbye; nothing, while the nurse stroked her head and told her to stop fighting and let go; nothing at all. Gasping and grasping at her last breaths over the course of about twenty minutes, we all stood there, watching her die. Slowly, inevitably, crawling towards death.
And, I must confess, I felt very little. What is it about the medical machine that removes emotionality? Is it I, or the system, or something other, that has carefully dissected away my heart from my head?

Zap! Bang! Kaboom! Splat!

So, in conclusion to the conversation earlier this week: Lois Lane is the DUMBEST of all the romantic-interests-of-superheroes-who-have-secret-identities.
Cases in point: I don't know if The Hulk has a romantic interest or not, but if he did, she could not be blamed if, seeing him in Hulk form, she couldn't figure out who he was, being all huge and green and and angry and all. Spiderman, of course, is the smartest by completely covering his face in that spandexy material, so Mary Jane can't figure out his other identity. Batman really only has a half mask, thus still exposing jaw, mouth and stubble. You'd think Vicky Vale might be able to figure it out after a while, but, I guess having his entire scalp and his upper face covered, she could be excused... maybe...
However, Lois Lane somehow gets entirely mystified when Clark Kent takes off his glasses and puts a little cowlick in his hair. Now if a girl can't figure -that- one out, then she really is a post... on the other hand, non-fictional men have gone for equally dumb women...

FFT

"Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment, but you humans do not.
You move to an area, and you multiply, and multiply, until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area.
There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet, you are a plague..."

True statement, that. Guess who said it?
Sadly, Agent Smith, The Matrix

FFT

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD, be strong and let your heart take courage; wait on the LORD.
Psalm 27:13-14

Mona Lisa

Isn't it funny how there are some faces that you see that will trigger memories? Just people passing you on the subway or on the street, who just cause your heart to lurch right out of your chest, or make you want to weep? Who remind you of children long dead, tragically lost friends, haunted pasts, broken hearts or those you had tried to save? I know that parents in their grief, despair when they believe that they see their little ones in someone else's buggy. Isn't it amazing how a face: a nose, two eyes and ears and a mouth (and, sometimes, not even that), can do that to the human heart? How a few features can bring to the surface guts, knives and tears? That long-lost memory quickly runs through synapses to bring back in full Technicolour things that had been buried and mourned in ages past?
We are fearfully and wonderfully made; and even though memory is an attribute of the Divine, we, in our imperfection, have marred the gift of memory such that, many a time, it is a curse....

Fraternite, egalite, liberte

I'd like to believe that I fundamentally believe in the equality of all under the law. No, not in the Christian sense that we're all sinners yadda yadda, and not in the sense that we completely ignore the individual differences in people, but that, irrespective of gender, race, age, ethnicity, disability/ability etc, being all equally -human-, that there are certain niceties and privileges belonging to all who belong to the human club. That perhaps, though stereotypes or previous experiences may play a role in how I may perceive, or interact, with people, that ultimately, I would proffer respect to all.
But sometimes, I'm not sure if I'm as respectable as that. Sometimes, I'm not sure that we, living in possibly the best democracy in the world (which, I know, is a fairly saaaaad statement to make), are truly as egalitarian as we think we are....
I had some examples as to why I started thinking about this, but I don't think I'll write about them here, today...

Unfinished piece

Faith, fear, grief, obedience, hope, despair... I think perhaps maybe I mull too much on archetypes... Maybe I should concentrate on vacuous things, as other people do...

Ghetto quiz

OK kids, it's time to play: What's more ghetto (you know who you are!)?
Creme brulee or body shampoo?
Napkin rings or tea cozies?
Knitting or croquet?
Pistachios or kite-flying?
Hamsters or mittens?
Campfire singalongs or garden gnomes?
Mashimaro coin purses or gelato?
Daffodils or throw cushions with tassels?
Bundt cakes or bird watching?
Porch swings or cobblestone?
Filet O'Fish or Filet Mignon?
Hee hee hee...

Snowbirds hitting the fan

What is with these people?? Canadians often wonder why our health care appears to be going to hell in a handbasket and/or why family doctors appear to run their clinics late; I am coming to the conclusion that those who ponder such thoughts are usually the ones that cause the problem. Cases in point:
1. I had a patient, who I had never met, repeatedly call the clinic and harass the secretaries to speak to me... from FRANCE. Finally, not being able to take it anymore, they pulled me out of my clinic to speak to this patient. Appears he was on vacation, and had gone to a French emergency room, where they ALREADY had diagnosed and managed a problem that he had. However, he insisted that he needed to talk to his doctor to find out whether he should insist on being medevac'd home to be seen in the family medicine office (?!?!? Yeah, I'm sure his insurance company would be thrilled on sending a paramedic team to France just to get a guy to his doctor's appointment...), as he wasn't sure whether that was good enough care... in FRANCE.
2. I had another guy, who I had also never met before, repeatedly harass my secretaries again... from ENGLAND. Same scenario, but this guy says, "Hey, I'm on vacation in ENGLAND. I'm feeling naseous... do you think I'm having a stroke?" (I nearly had a stroke. Firstly, for calling freaking long distance while on vacation in a country with perfectly excellent health care, secondly, for asking me to falsely reassure him, never having met the man, or knowing anything about his medical history so that he could assuage his own conscience and not bother to interrupt his precious vacation time by going to see a doctor, after which he would then die and then I'd get sued for providing poor medical advice?? Who the heck did he think he was?) After explaining nausea could also be a symptom of pregnancy, I told him if he was concerned, he should go seek medical attention.
3. A telephone message left for me (these cases are all the more perplexing when you consider the fact that talking to patients on the phone, when it is not an emergency takes precious time away from patients who have actually bothered to come in, who DESERVE to have their appointments kept on time): I collapsed a few days ago. Do you think I'm sick? (What? What am I supposed to do with that? Why the heck didn't he go to the emergency department at the time?)
4. Another message left for me: I'm back from vacation, and I was constipated the whole time (and this is my problem, exactly, why???)
5. Another message left for me: I'm in Ottawa for the week, and I think I've got a yeast infection: Could you please phone in a prescription to this pharmacy in Ottawa? (Excuse me? Who do you think you are? Why the hell would I prescribe a medication for someone I have never seen for a disease I haven't even diagnosed? There are things called walk-in clinics that could see you if you really wanted to see a doctor, and, guess what? You can buy that stuff over the counter, idiot who has a drug plan...)
I cannot believe the self-centredness and sense of entitlement that plagues city people...

French Patient

Now the adultery count is at seven and eight, though these were completely unprovoked revelations. It's quite sad, how it rips people's lives apart. Number seven was particularly poignant, as this one involved a child, who no longer knows (well, who never knew) their biological parents, sadly. And who will never know their biological father, as he's the one who fled the situation (unsurprisingly and non-shockingly), leaving the biological mother with very little choice. And whose existence has caused a bittersweet aching on their grandparents' hearts for their lost grandchild. The injustice of all these situations involving these supposedly God-fearing men continues to baffle me. I am convinced that God is a God of justice, and He is One who controls all for good, though it takes faith the size of a mustard seed to believe that He will see His justice done, if not now, amongst current circumstance, then in that hazy future that's called trust.
I really hope I don't have to go through the whole European continent...

Short stuff idol

Thanks to Anni, we have now found a suitable karaoke partner for some people... I think I ended up watching this a dozen times in a row... I know, this is totally NOT the forum just to put various clips that I find amusing here, so I apologize... it very likely won't happen again...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kCvImnD32os&search=cute%20lil%20girl
What I totally don't understand is: How on earth did the person videotaping this not die laughing while recording?

FFT

The Christian is the one whose imagination should fly beyond the stars.
- Francis Schaeffer

FFT

Our greatest blessings come to us by way of madness.
-Socrates

Escaping Empire

Brian, look! I think I've escaped empire! It would have to be empire with a little 'e', as I don't think it is possible to escape the shadow of the Empire. But I think that I've unharnessed myself. For definition, empire metaphorically refers to any oppressive regime, whether institution or individual. The proof will be in the pudding, however. We shall see how the slave shall deal with new-found freedom...

American-style

This week, I received my (I think) first direct-mail advertising from a private clinic in the USA. I'm not sure if I should be puzzled, grateful, or deeply insulted. A nice, slick brochure, explaining the services offered there, that might meet the needs of my Canadian patients, who may not be able to access such care in a timely manner here. It looks like a nice place. Certainly, people who can afford care do already indeed head south for quicker service. However, I wonder at the ethics about directly sending me information to share with my patients. Doesn't this start undermining my belief in the Canadian system (well, such as my belief is)? Is that my job, to push people south when they can't access care in a timely manner here? Certainly, I've had (obviously) rich people, who, for relatively minor complaints, weren't happy with the suggestion that they may have to wait several months to see someone; instead, they inform me that they will hop a plane the next day and go down to the States to get the care that they want, not the care that they may need, or is warranted under the circumstances. However, that becomes their perogative, not my suggestion.
Strange thoughts that come in the mail...

FFT

"Jesus promised His disciples three things - that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble."
-G.K. Chesterton
Well, at least I've got 1.5 of them...

Maybe I've got osteoporosis

Is it possible to injure someone pretty bad after giving them a bear hug? In one of those hugs that half lift you off the ground? I don't understand how it happened, but my shoulder's been half-dislocated, and my ribs are killing me ever since; I can't breathe deeply, I can't push myself off the floor without collapsing again... very strange... I can't even really stand up straight... it's almost contrary to what I'd expect to see in my patients... and, thinking about what I'd advise them in the same situation, I haven't even bothered doing any of it... O Physician, heal thyself...
Interesting thoughts from the other day re: missions, role of nationals, generosity and control of funds. Too numerous to count, though I think, folks, maybe it is an issue of control or lack of trust. Or maybe it's wisdom gleaned from years of experience. I'd like to imagine it's the latter.... though I will rethink it some more...