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| It took me about 30 seconds to type the title of this entry... See, the "S" key on my laptop has been broken.. it initially started with the key falling off. I tried fixing it, but the plastic part that connects the key to the keyboard had broken. I tried attaching the S key from different computers.. didn't work. So I just kept typing away without the s key. For a while it worked fine, just like any other key. But now, it has come to the point where I have to exert a considerable amount of force to type the letter S... (again!) Sometimes it doesn't even work and I have to take a break, rest my fingers and take a deep breath before I attempt to type it again. This is getting pretty ridiculous if you ask me... I've realized a few things through this s key experience: I think "s" may in fact be the most frequently used letter I find myself thinking of alternative words that don't have "s" in them I may be using too much force when I type.. With other things in my life, I think I let a simple, fixable thing such as fixing an "s" key, culminate into a problem much bigger and unavoidable....... The "D" key on my laptop is going down the same road.. the plastic part has already fallen off... hello arthritis? or hello new laptop... | | |
| Today I filled some cavities on a criminal. A young criminal that is. A 17 year old came in with his probation officer seeking dental treatment. Of course, I didn't know this until after I had had a conversation with him and filled 2 cavities. I would have never assumed due to his sensitive nature and abundant questions regarding braces and how to make his smile more attractive that he was currently on probation in juvenile hall.
A request for braces and whitening is rare to hear from a patient at the clinic I am currently externing at b/c the majority of the patient population are migrant farm workers seeking emergency palliative care. So I patiently explained to him that, no, you cannot get braces or whitening here.. you have to get your dental decay dealt with first..
So, I dealth with the cavities. While I was giving him anesthesia, I briefly glanced at his legs and noticed a large chain around his ankles. I assumed that it was merely an extra-long, extra-large chain that teenagers hang down from their pants (which I never understood). As I was about to ask him if that was the fashion nowadays, I was done giving him the shot, so I quickly moved on to the next step and disregarded the question in my head.
After I was done w/ the procedure, I took the chart and stood up to walk the patient out. As I was busily writing my notes in the chart, I turned around to see if he was following me out. Then I noticed that his legs were chained at the ankles, and his arms were behind his back. I turned around and pretended to keep writing my notes, but my head went blank and I just stared at the paper dumbfounded.
I found it interesting that I assumed many things, and that I would have probably treated him a little differently throughout the procedure if I had known of his circumstance.
As the patient was standing there he kept asking me about a referral for braces or for whitening. All the while in my head, I kept glancing at the tray right next to him with sharp dental instruments. So, I kindly (and nervously) told him that that would have to come later.
He was no different from any other patient that I had treated that day, but his chains told me otherwise. | | |
| I usually go through phases of repeating one song, and these days it's this one:
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house
They are ever praising You
Blessed are those whose strength is in You
Whose hearts are set on our God
We will go from strength to strength
Until we see You face to face
Hear our prayer
Oh Lord, God almighty
Come bless our land
As we seek You
Worship You
For You are holy
For You are holy
For You are holy, Lord | | |
| my past trip to socal was a bit of a surreal one. went to Grace and Junhan's wedding, longtime college friends, who have been dating since freshman year. it was also a mini reunion. i saw faces i hadn't seen in so long, too bad i couldn't catch up with everyone..also couldn't help but realize that i think i've changed a little bit. my outlook on life has become less idealistic.. maybe i've become jaded? cynical? even bitter... maybe it's b/c most of my friends were fobs? hehe or maybe it's norcal affecting me? it's probably b/c i've left my spiritual bubble
it was interesting to see everyone and where they are in their lives.. both spiritually and in the worldly sense. jeff getting a hot med school girlfriend, when everyone thought he'd never get a gf.. (hope jeff doesnt read this!), a lot of dongseng's dating each other, a lot of people wanting to enter ministry..
seeing young gsn, jung msn, lee msn.. i just wanted to sit and talk with them. thank you for always being so happy to see me, for praying for me and encouraging me, and treating me like your own daughter
once in sd, yeunjoo and i acted like old ahjoomah's and did a tour of UCSD.. why is it so nice now?! they upgraded everything... we walked by where we used to study, hang out, places we ate at.. sigh.. we were out of breath by the end b/c the campus is so freaking huge
oh, and another shocking realization.. next year's incoming class is born in 1990!!!!! WTH
going to class of 2008's graduation also made me realize that this would probably be the last graduation of my dongseng's that i'd go to. it was crazy to see how they were when they were freshmen, and how they've matured now. and by maturing, i mean that they actually bought ME food when we went out to eat. haha! but in all seriousness, talking with some of them, i can see that the reality of the real world is starting to hit them and that they have new challenges and battles to fight. i'll be praying for you guys
visiting hanbit church, reminded me of how God is great and the amazing works He can do. i remember when college group used to be 15 people in a rented out church's library.. now it has revived and there's even a 4th service.. i couldn't even recognize the youth group kids b/c they all grew up and some even became teachers themselves..while i was there i heard a message that was something i really needed to hear. Ch 1 of the book of Ruth talks about Naomi (meaning pleasant, sweet) wanting to be called Mara (meaning bitter) due to the circumstances that had occurred in her life. she lost her husband, her two sons. she was stripped bare, she became calculative, she blamed God. She had lost her mission in life. I think many times i forget that God wants us to live happily.. but it's b/c of my inability to see the bigger picture, inability to forget the past, my inferiority complex, that makes me meddle in unimportant things and causes me to lose sight. in the message, jung msn mentioned to not always be nostalgic of how 'things used to be' and to stop comparing to the past. we have to open our hearts to the church's mission and teachings, God called me to the church to grow, and not stay stagnant.
in Exodus 15, the word Mara appears again. The Israelites are thirsty but find bitter water so they cry out to God. God changes the bitter water into sweet water. God is capable of this amazing transformation. He wants us to get out of bitterness and experience his sweet springs of life. i want to be a Naomi, not a Mara..
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| So I was having dinner with my parents and some of their friends the other day, and they started talking about how they used to mispronounce english words. (I think they still mispronounce them). They were cracking up, and asked if I could guess what they were trying to say. I think I only got one right... Here are some of the words written out phonetically:
"doc-doo-ree"= doctor's on duty
"sous-seuh-main" = south main (I got this one!)
"mool-sae-ree" = mercedes benz
Sigh, I don't know why this cracks me up... | | |
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