#the ever-present threat of the nclex

[nursingstudentmemes]

[no-one-of-consequence]

Recurring Themes

As I have been looking over everything I want to write about here, I am noticing that a lot of the subject matter is pretty heavy. However, I also have many humorous stories to tell as well. I thought it might be best to structure future posts to include a mix of both instead of simply info dumping a ton of dark and heavy baggage into a post and calling it a day. Make no mistake, that heavy stuff will be prominently featured, but I don’t think it needs to be the whole focus. After all, if anyone I know ever ends up reading this I would hope they get to see both sides of my life. The light and the millennial gray.

Upcoming and recurring themes:  (1) Tales from 2020: There is a popular meme format that has been going around lately, and for about the past 3 years (starting in autumn) I always see posts touting things like “It’s almost 2025 and I still haven’t even processed 2020.” My initial reaction is always “OMG I totally agree”, but then I never did the work of processing it. So, why not actually write about it and tell the stories from the most mixed bag of a year I have ever experienced. Examples: A childhood role model walks out into the desert to die. This was the year I was finally able to invest in my 2nd child. A year that strained every relationship. A year of contact tracing, death threats, and uncomfortable phone calls. The discovery of my 16-year-old half-brother. Feeling protected by the community I served. Falling in love with school nursing, despite the pandemic. The bond of shared trauma and new lifelong friendships. Nurses eat their young, and rejecting the culture of trial by fire. And many, many, more smaller moments of light in the darkness.

(2) Formative pre-nursing experience: As stated in the initial post, I am a Nurse. It was a long journey to get here though. My journey in particular to get here was much longer than most. I already had one college degree before transitioning to this field, and my previous degree had no STEM credits. Because of this, I had an elongated nursing assistant run. Being a nursing assistant was a world all its own and I always tell people it was the best thing I never ever want to do again.

Examples: The two patients who left their mark on me as they died. Ghost stories (Help! The killer potted plant, and the piano concert from heaven). The 104-year-old teacher who was still teaching. Wisdom shared by patients. Concrete examples of true unconditional love. Poop stories (It comes with the job, but they won’t be as gross as you imagine.) Why the Bulb Fields by Vincent Van Gough is my favorite piece of art. Appreciation for good mentors who lead from the front.

(3) Trail marker: Stories that fall into this category will be the stories that are the dearest to me, and have impacted my life in some major or irreversible way. These will be stories that caused a perspective change, and they will usually be a millennial gray.

Examples: Working for my favorite boss and learning how to lead relaxed. Botching an interview but getting the job anyway. Studying for the NCLEX, and state-based memory. Becoming a homeowner, and the parallels of home repairs to self-reflection and inner work. Summer of 2011 and how my Korean friends changed everything. The birth of each of my children. Our wedding, and the darkness surrounding it. Going no-contact with my father in-law and the subsequent order of protection. The importance of acknowledging failure, and refusing to become stagnant. The neo-nazi and the horse.

(4) General appreciation posts: These will be just as the category name suggests. Just a section of things to really geek out over and show love to.  

Examples: Any fandom I appreciate. Magic, the gathering. Pro-wrestling (Non-WWE). Anime. Fantasy. Sci-fi. And other general nerd stuff.

(5) Chasing the Omega Physique: In my present day, life is a lot easier than it has ever been (:Knocks on wood:) and I finally have time to devote to real and tangible physical fitness. I have been going to the gym for many years, but nothing tangible has ever come of it, and I've never been able to lose the weight I want to lose, or develop the lean muscle mass I have always dreamed of having.  What I mean by the Omega Physique is complicated, and it will be explained more thoroughly the first time this segment occurs. 

But here is a hint:

This is just a preview and I am working on my first real entry coming very soon. I hope anyone who finds this, enjoys the things to come. Sincerely,  ~ (Z)