This is an emergency post based on the gross nature of yesterday's post and the fact that this blog was featured on Crazy Aunt Purl. Frankly I'm a little scared that when y'all see the grossness, not to mention the complete lack of compassion for the person who had the "issue", you will think poorly of me. That perhaps I am a heartless bitch.
Hence, I write a new post to explain myself.
Gallows humor is a big part of my life. I have worked in HIV Inc. for about 15 years now (with a little sabbatical) and I have had lots of friends kick it. The list would be hideously depressing. In fact, I must admit, were it not for the early demise of the beautiful and talented Shane, I would not be where I am today. Sad, yet true. Finding humor in work that is stressful, frustrating or dangerous is important in order to continue doing a good job.
To familiarize you all with this particular brand of humor and just for the fun of it, I have included one of my favorites.
A conversation between two clients overheard in the halls of an APLA included, "You look great! Is that a new cane?"
Jeff used to say I was an death junkie. I wish he was still around so that I could explain that no, I'm not a death junkie, in fact, I hate the dying part.
Hence, I write a new post to explain myself.
Gallows humor is a big part of my life. I have worked in HIV Inc. for about 15 years now (with a little sabbatical) and I have had lots of friends kick it. The list would be hideously depressing. In fact, I must admit, were it not for the early demise of the beautiful and talented Shane, I would not be where I am today. Sad, yet true. Finding humor in work that is stressful, frustrating or dangerous is important in order to continue doing a good job.
To familiarize you all with this particular brand of humor and just for the fun of it, I have included one of my favorites.
A conversation between two clients overheard in the halls of an APLA included, "You look great! Is that a new cane?"
Jeff used to say I was an death junkie. I wish he was still around so that I could explain that no, I'm not a death junkie, in fact, I hate the dying part.
- I want to remember everyone I've lost
- I want to do what I can to help stop the dying part
- and I want people to know that they can ask me the hard questions, the embarrassing questions, the gross questions. I like being a resource for people. It makes me feel good about myself.
This is why I am still doing this job and why I still love it. Even when I talk about mucus.
Love y'all.
Labels: Lemon-AIDS
Stumble It!
The story of Michael and me.
4 Comments:
Baby, don't ever feel like you have to explain or justify yourself to anyone. I mean, c'mon. We love you just the way you are.
Besides, I like knowing I'll be in good company when I go STRAIGHT TO HELL.
Oh, hell. At this point, we really need to forget what folks think of us... just today I got YET ANOTHER in a long line of comments that informed me I was spelling "ya'll" wrong. Not like I haven't addressed that issue 1,000 times and also, what the eff is anyone doing telling me how to spell ridiculous junk on my own stupid website?
Not that I'm bitter. Do I sound bitter? Ok, maybe. heh. But sometimes people just need to step off.
I personally love mucus talk.
gallows humor is a great way to put it!.. as 'black humor' is totally not pc anymore, and here in Santa Cruz you have to be ready to offend everyone and subsequently be protested at anytime.
I too was once interested in a medical profession, but passed due to my own list of reasons including perpetual disgust of the 'insurance system', spending all those hard earned years writing scripts for colds, and although I was able to breeze through college anatomy and all the dissection stuff... needles *shudder* eh, not so much.
(for me, watching other people eat gross things just turns my tummy - the way peeling away the skin and fat from a fresh cadaver never could).
My type of 'gallows humor' is more personal than job related, after my dad passed away suddenly (at 43)my catholic family had 3 separate masses for him.. at which my vegan sister and I openly discussed if she was even allowed to be eating the body of christ, and whether or not her christ was stuck in her teeth like mine was then at the ashes dispersal on a sailboat we worried if 'the power of christ' was about to compell us to nausea... blasphemous and 'wrong'? maybe... but real. I'd rather read real with mucus than boring. thanks.
Also, anyone who has ever worked in emergency medicine is right there with you. EMT and emergency room humor are DIS-GUS-TING. And mean. And vile. But it keeps (or kept, in my case) us sane, and keeps (kept) us doing the work that needed doing.
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