Is That Natural?

Yes that’s a generalization…kind of. But you know as well as I do that our high school students are kind of behind the eight ball on standardized tests when it comes to the math and sciences. And reading and… oh well, this is about mainly science, I only have so much time here.

So I am taking my General Biology CLEP tomorrow morning. Yeah that’s right, I am supposed to be studying right now but there is only so much attention I can pay to a chapter on carbon (carbon–I am so looking forward to that Organic Chemistry course) before my eyes go all wonky and I need to do something else. Like smack myself in the face with the book. Or write a blog post. Anynoodles, I decided to go to the library today to see if there were any Biology texts to supplement my studying. Yeah, it’s late in the game but I got a study guide a while ago thinking that would cover it and, apparently, that isn’t all I need. I read some fatalistic reviews online by some hyped up over-caffienated  test takers who were all “This test was like, totally the hardest CLEP like, ever! And like, the study guide didn’t help at like, all! It like, sucked!” And truly, the study guide does say that it is meant to be a supplement to a general bio text. But I was like “Nah, I am a maverick not to mention the smartest woman alive (lie) and I need no help! (lie)” In reality, I don’t have a General Bio text since I took AP Biology way back in high school. You know back in the day when I was studying while listening to Kurt Cobain…when he was still alive. Yeah, I’m kinda old.

I’m reading (skimming) this text which I think is geared toward high school students and, you know? I can see why they hate science. It’s such a fascinating subject but, when presented like a bowl of wilted lettuce sans dressing, with a side of day-old bread then no, it doesn’t come off as very palatable. I was using my old Anatomy and Physiology book, which is about a decade newer than this book, for some of the cell biology concepts and it’s surprising how much more interesting it is.

Maybe it’s just me, maybe it’s just because I am actually interested in it. But, don’t you agree? If we made math and science interesting and fun for kids–if we went a little Bill Nye once in a while they might actually want to learn?

Just a thought.

Did you know that, in a sense, it really does?

Okay, one thing I should get you used to is the fact that I am not squeamish about medical “stuff.” I’ve worked in the medical field for about seven years (and I want to keep going, and keep going a lot further), most of that in the emergency department; I’ve seen lots of things you probably wouldn’t want to see. And I’ve discussed things as commonplace with my coworkers that most people probably wouldn’t consider polite conversation because, when you’ve just had your hands on someone elses colon, listening to your coworkers talk about their bowel habits isn’t anything out of the ordinary. Not really something I do though, for the record. Just sayin’.

Once in a while I come across something I find quite interesting and I have a feeling that, while I’m in school, I will be finding even more. I figure I have the perfect forum to share these things because, well, it isn’t too often that I run across someone having a scientific and/or medical nerd-out on their blog

I saw this on The Today Show this morning and I thought it was so cool, science geek that I am. I suppose I kind of already knew about some of it (from the hospital, thank you very much!) but, well, considering I don’t have the anatomy in question, I don’t really pay attention.

So…size does matter. For example, did you know that the size of a mans… belly (ha ha! gotcha!) can affect the levels of testosterone? The bigger the belly, the lower the testosterone? Click on the link ladies (and guys.) It’s an interesting article.

Do you ever just listen to the people around you sometimes? I don’t mean while you’re actively in a conversation with others, I mean just…listen. I guess it’s technically called eavesdropping but look, we’ve all done it and I would venture to say that we all still do it, especially at work where it seems we all have common areas where people like to gather and talk about their lives with seeming abandon. For some of us (and I mean me) those common areas are actually our work spaces–where I work kind of promotes eavesdropping and believe me, there is no other line of work that I have been in where there has been so much of that with the inevitable gossip that follows it. I think that’s why shows like Grey’s Anatomy and ER exist; while they are very unrealistic (Izzie cut an LVAD wire and didn‘t get thrown right out of the resident program? Seriously…) the dynamics between the characters (staff) on those shows is…well…the ideas for the shows had to come from somewhere. Anyway, sometimes I listen to people around me and it wears me out. I listen to them talk about their bad relationships. I listen to them complain about how sick they were last week. I listen to them talk about how terribly hot it’s going to be today (when yesterday it wasn’t hot enough, and when is it going to be summery already?) I wonder what makes people revel in their drama. Why would you want to have so much discord in your life when it is much more peaceful to have, well, peace?

And then I realize that I used to be these people not too long ago.

Yeah, okay, I was a drama queen. Maybe, sometimes, I still am. But it’s interesting what happens when you take the time to listen, to really listen to what’s going on around you, to the people around you. I think one of the things that did it for me was that I realized that I don’t have it so bad. Because, remember, I work in a hospital. A lot of the people around me are a lot worse off than I am. I suppose that doesn’t mean I don’t get depressed sometimes and wish I hadn’t done something differently in the past or, I don’t know, wish I had a million dollars or that I was Rachael Ray (she is so pretty, she is so stinkin’ cool, and she can cook.) But, at least now, I recognize that, for the most part, I’m pretty lucky. Blessed.

I’m not trying to spout off some kind of platitude, you know like, “Oh, things could always be worse,” or “Count your blessings.” Ick. But oh, my goodness, have you ever been around really negative people? Of course you have. I sure have. I’m around them a lot. I was one of them and I don’t think I realized it. Sometimes I’m sure I can still be a little negative, for example, I tend to spout off about lazy people when, eh, I could probably just shut it and clean up after them. After all, I‘m kind of lazy myself. Whatever, I suppose no one is perfect. Except Rachael Ray. Oh! And Michael Buble…he’s got such a nice voice and he is so cute! Love that.

And I wonder at the (relative) peace I have in my life lately. I say relative because, look, I don’t live on easy street. I work hard to get by; I work full time and will be going to school almost full time. Because of my schedule, I miss out on a lot…and etc, etc. But I feel peaceful for the first time in years and I believe–I hope–it is because I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.