Hell’s Half Acre

I am looking forward to working as an RN. When I started looking into job prospects that were both portable and well paying, I settled on RN solely for those aspects. The more it jells in my mind, the more I am beginning to realize that it might be the only profession that I might enjoy as much as being a mother. I started working right out of the first year of college as I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up and fell, quite by accident, into the computer industry. I started before Steven Jobs invented the PC and was so shortsighted that when I finally had the opportunity to play with one, in 1983 or so, I found it useless. It didn’t connect to the mainframe and the only way to load it was via 2 5.25″ floppy drives. I had no vision.

I worked in the computer industry, eventually leaving mainframes and designing computer networks for mainly government entities. By the time I stopped working in 1999, it was with relief. I had come to hate the job, dancing to the tune of the client’s desires and pretending I knew All so the company would get the contract. I absolutely LOVED being a mother and it has always fullfilled me, completely and utterly.

I have always felt a need, however, to “give back” to do Something with a social service aspect. I never wanted to work in mental health or social services though but the more I think about nursing, the more I think I’ve found my niche. So while I loathe the thought of staying in One Place for FIVE YEARS (oh, the horror!), I am looking forward to going back to school and working. I’m out of the baby years and know my kids will be absolutely fine with my absence. And that really makes a huge difference.

So, my secret.

When my Dad got cancer, I did a lot of researching and eventually found the blogs. The Cancer Blogs. I got hooked on some of them and on at least a weekly basis will checkup on Deb, Dylan, Jay, Laurie, Minerva, and Sarah. While reading Amanda’s new blog she created after the death of her husband, Eric, I found Tom’s blog and from Tom I found Alicia’s story. I spent all day yesterday in bed with fever and sore throat and read about Alicia. It is moving and amazing. I learned so much. If nothing else, if and when I work as an RN, I’ll have some input from the patient’s POV.

Tomorrow we head out to Media Luna lake as Jesse will not be satisfied until he is able to experience the warm lake. Then we are OUT of this drizzle and grey and yuck.