Here I Am

Here I am, almost 45, and wow,,,what a life it has been so far- I cannot wait to see what the future holds and finally have learnt the real meaning behind the saying "you are where you are, because you want to be". I have learnt that there is no point in making excuses for things you cannot do, for those excuses hold you back. We all have a choice on how we choose to live life. Success now- to me- is not measured by how many ornaments i own, nor how expensive my car or clothes are. Success to me is being able to enjoy our country side an more importantly- the people. It is being able to take advantage of opportunities- like HECS- so I can live how i wish to live and also in being able to pay my way while i do it. Success is knowing I have 3 boys who can survive and be good people in their own right. Success is enjoying each and every shift i do in my chosen career. I look back now and wonder why i waited so long to do what I have done. Sure, it would have been harder when the kids were smaller- but shoot- it was hard anyway but the results are well worth it. I could have stayed in the bigger hospitals- tired and burnt out in a few years. Task nursing- when you have done a shift and realise you have not got the patients name but you have managed the paperwork and recored what needed to be recorded. Ridiculous shifts that left me drained and exhausted- to the point I could not even enjoy family, never mind have energy for friends or other family. I cringe when i think back to those days--they seem like a life time ago. Some thrive on this- and i appreciate we all have different ideas of what constitutes a good valuable life. God knows, the hospitals need nurses willing to work like that and with such little reward.
For now, my life is bliss, I finish an 8 hr night shift looking out onto the lake- surrounded by untouched countryside. The hopital is its own time capsule, old, yet sparkly clean. Lino floors from decades ago that have no doubt seen many a good nurses footsteps. An old closed theatre where babies were born by half the female staff over 30 years ago. Now empty, and when checked on last rounds they just want to yell out a story to me. The old kitchen, homely and welcoming, just waiting for cook to come in and make that days fresh breaky- what ever the patients want or indeed- if there are lots of visitors or extra staff it may well be homemade pizza. (Dont get me wrong- by lot of people i mean there might be 10 in the place). The old laundry out the back and huge old hills hoists in the paddock, You just have to love this place- steeped in history. The patients come in and the first thing you notice are the occupations...roo hunters, pig hunters...it made me laugh the first time I saw it written down. They are all characters and in a small town like this the staff know them all... and their families and their full histories... The patients feel like this hospital is their backyard, they come in, they are seen immediatley and if they just wish to come in for some sugar or to weigh themselves they do so. It is relaxed and easy, and funny. The community nurse recalls some fabulous tales and she has the face and voices to go with them. I laugh as she tells the tales....the other day it was merely that when she got to old Bob and Bettys (not real names lol ) they were mid fight over when the community nurse was working. It was a full on country blue. She waited and watched until she aggreed - over a cuppa- that she was indeed on shift today and was there now to see them. I can just imagine this old couple arguing over when she was supposed to be 'on'.Obviously not much news in the homestead that day lol.
Another funny staff member heard of a snake living in the grounds and came racing down the hall to say she was "gonna relocate that bastard yesterday but someone woulda dobbed me in" , in stunned shock the gardener turned and said "what were you gonna relocate it with"...."Me bloody 410" she answered with a smile. I love these people, they are fun, down to earth and live life to the real meaning of full.
Another nurse tells a tale of how after a Christmas bash she was only located because her hubby had seen her halo glinting in the gutter. Yes it was a fancy dress do. She reckons she was never sicker in her life and grateful for her hungry dog that ate all her spew before the girls woke up and knew that mum had vomited her heart out on the front step lol.
Theres some great country tales out here...I should write a book- but im too busy laughing just listening to them--in real life.
Night all
Colleen