Stiff Fingers Need Piano Therapy

Sara Bareilles - Gravity

I hope winter ends soon.  Every time winter comes knockin' on my door, my extremities never stay warm, I eat more, I run outside less, I get fat... and my fingers get stiff.  And when my fingers get stiff, I start missing my grand piano back at home.  The light-oak brown instrument has it's very own space in the large dining area, with a large window behind it letting sunlight peek through the blinds and dance on top of the closed top - probably a very dusty closed top.  The piano must be really lonely now that no one comes to play it's keys.

I never wanted to play the piano but my dad forced me to like all Asian parents.  But during the last year of high school, it grew on me.  Right when it started to grow on me, I had to leave for college.  I was never a really good piano player anyway.  Never a good student.  But for some reason, I became a better player during college.  I missed making music with just the touch of my fingers.  I sought out opportunity to practice and play.

While I participated in the university choir, I had access codes to piano rooms.  Then when I quit choir, I started sneaking into auditoriums.  Until one day I finally set off the alarm.  I haven't played in Seattle since!  I wish I practiced more.  I could sure use some piano therapy.

Life of the Unemployed RN

Finally after a three month hiatus of blogging, I decided to return.  Well, then again, I only posted once anyway (to which I did not hesitate to delete).  I'm hoping that blogging will help me differentiate the days.  When you are unemployed, the days start blending in together with no significance.  Everyday is the same story - wake up, check every hospital website in hopes to find a new posting for residency, watch a few episodes of HOUSE M.D., meet an old friend for coffee/dinner, a glass of wine and straight to bed. 

When I first set out on my journey to become a nurse, I thought, "Hey! I want to make a difference in humanity! It's not all about the money!"  Such a naive thought.  If you want to be a nurse, this better be your passion and not just the passion you claim you have on your personal statement to impress admission counselors.  I'm talking about, four grueling years of working your ass off - studying for exams that you must get a C+ or higher, enduring long clinical hours, sucking up to professors so that you may get the placement in hospitals and units you want (I wish I knew this during college), working for free (they call it "training") - all that!  After college, when you do land a residency, it's probably night shift because you have no seniority.  All day long you bust ass making sure people stay alive but at the end of the day, they may not even thank you.  Nurses often have to clean up poop, pee and vomit.  All this for a starting rate of $25.44.  This is not easy money and definitely not a easy profession.

So, this brings me to, WHY THE HECK DID I WANT TO BE A NURSE!?  Well, someone's gotta take care of the sick folk.  Ever get so sick that you couldn't fetch your own medicine or water but luckily your mom/pops/honey/sister/brother went out of their way to care for you?  What if there wasn't anyone there to care for you?  You don't want to know what it feels like.  Thank and be appreciative to your nurses people.

I can't imagine being a nurse for the rest of my life, but this is where I want to start.  Just as soon as I find a residency program!

DAMN YOU RECESSION.