Report of 24 June '07
Hello from the Carmel lib -
Well, I am sitting here all teary-eyed. Vaishnavi, one of the founders of the Banyan, forwarded me a note that she had sent to someone describing my work and it was magnanimous. She is an excellent writer and so eloquently aggrandized (is that even a word?) my work there that I sat in my chair reading it and getting mighty weepy.
Life is good. I just returned from a weekend w/ the in-laws and it was great. I couldn't wait to get there on Friday night and I had a ton of patients on Friday afternoon; this was also ok, as it helped the day go by very quickly. So I got there Friday night, and we hung out. I ate everything in sight. On Saturday, there was more hanging out and I saw an older movie called "Switch." Scott's mom, aunt and uncle took me out for dinner to little Lawrenceburg and we ate at a buffet. I continued eating long after everyone else had finished. We came home, sat around talking and this morning, I phoned home so that the relatives on that side of the pond (Chennai) could talk to these relatives. I headed home after that was done, and stopped at one of my favorite haunts in Indy - Half-Price Books.
There were some memorable patients this week. A 21 yo overweight young woman who was desperate to have a baby w/ her boyfriend, just released from prison, and then revealing that she had a 11 month old and lived w/ her mother; I tell you at times like this, the old culture just comes flying out my mouth and I asked, "Ok, is your mother aware of these plans? Is she supportive?" I asked my colleagues to explain this phenomenon of a 21 yo wanting another baby w/ an ex-con, and the most we could all decide on was "She needs to feel wanted, and the unconditional love of the baby helps." We also had the 20 yo male, very attractive and coming in on Friday afternoon, clueing us in as to the cause way before we walked into the room - check for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD's). I did give him the condom lecture, and he did not completely listen, and my thought has since become, "If you want to listen and change, great. If not, feel free to experience the consequences." And then I think he would take a couple of young women out w/ him, but anyone dumb enough to get intimate w/ this kind of guy is also likely to face disastrous consequences. There was the drug-dealer recently sent to a half-way house, w/o going to prison (he told me the lawyer took money from him for "the judge" - does bribing go on in the U.S., too?), who had been saving up his earnings to open his own architecture firm. He is now going to college for his architecture degree, after getting his Associates' degree, and before I could stop myself, I had lectured him - "Well, Sir, I think the community needs more Black architects and I hope like heck that you will stay in school. I'd rather your children looked up to their father, the architect, than their father, the drug dealer." This guy appeared to take the lecture rather well, politically incorrect though it might have been.
The 3 Weiss men and I also talked during the week, and this might help matters on both sides. Last year, I did not call home at all due to the expense and because all 3 of them were fighting madly w/ each other every week, and I knew I'd get a detailed account when I called - and what the heck would I (even want to) do from 12,000 miles away? So this year, we had a giant family conference before I left, and the boys were told their responsibilities, so we are hoping things go smoother. Some of the other mothers in Chennai and I were talking, and we said that fathers really do have blinders on most of the time, focusing serially on their job, or the car, or the kids, and do not seem able to parallel-process or multi-task. To his credit, Scott is trying, and realises how valuable the experience of working in America is for me; to sit in on lectures and Grand Rounds is such a treat, and I have eaten almost every salad in sight.
My mother-in-law had a package for me that my friend Olivia Fondoble had sent. I simply love packages, and Olivia had, extremely considerately, put in things that the 3 Weiss men and I particularly like: trail mix (a new favorite), chocolate, other candy, and pencils for our tutoring kids. Olivia is a gentle, kind sort, and I am fortunate to know her.
Ok, more soon. I am desperate to find an automobile by Tuesday the 26th, and all hints are welcome.
Unw -
R
Well, I am sitting here all teary-eyed. Vaishnavi, one of the founders of the Banyan, forwarded me a note that she had sent to someone describing my work and it was magnanimous. She is an excellent writer and so eloquently aggrandized (is that even a word?) my work there that I sat in my chair reading it and getting mighty weepy.
Life is good. I just returned from a weekend w/ the in-laws and it was great. I couldn't wait to get there on Friday night and I had a ton of patients on Friday afternoon; this was also ok, as it helped the day go by very quickly. So I got there Friday night, and we hung out. I ate everything in sight. On Saturday, there was more hanging out and I saw an older movie called "Switch." Scott's mom, aunt and uncle took me out for dinner to little Lawrenceburg and we ate at a buffet. I continued eating long after everyone else had finished. We came home, sat around talking and this morning, I phoned home so that the relatives on that side of the pond (Chennai) could talk to these relatives. I headed home after that was done, and stopped at one of my favorite haunts in Indy - Half-Price Books.
There were some memorable patients this week. A 21 yo overweight young woman who was desperate to have a baby w/ her boyfriend, just released from prison, and then revealing that she had a 11 month old and lived w/ her mother; I tell you at times like this, the old culture just comes flying out my mouth and I asked, "Ok, is your mother aware of these plans? Is she supportive?" I asked my colleagues to explain this phenomenon of a 21 yo wanting another baby w/ an ex-con, and the most we could all decide on was "She needs to feel wanted, and the unconditional love of the baby helps." We also had the 20 yo male, very attractive and coming in on Friday afternoon, clueing us in as to the cause way before we walked into the room - check for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD's). I did give him the condom lecture, and he did not completely listen, and my thought has since become, "If you want to listen and change, great. If not, feel free to experience the consequences." And then I think he would take a couple of young women out w/ him, but anyone dumb enough to get intimate w/ this kind of guy is also likely to face disastrous consequences. There was the drug-dealer recently sent to a half-way house, w/o going to prison (he told me the lawyer took money from him for "the judge" - does bribing go on in the U.S., too?), who had been saving up his earnings to open his own architecture firm. He is now going to college for his architecture degree, after getting his Associates' degree, and before I could stop myself, I had lectured him - "Well, Sir, I think the community needs more Black architects and I hope like heck that you will stay in school. I'd rather your children looked up to their father, the architect, than their father, the drug dealer." This guy appeared to take the lecture rather well, politically incorrect though it might have been.
The 3 Weiss men and I also talked during the week, and this might help matters on both sides. Last year, I did not call home at all due to the expense and because all 3 of them were fighting madly w/ each other every week, and I knew I'd get a detailed account when I called - and what the heck would I (even want to) do from 12,000 miles away? So this year, we had a giant family conference before I left, and the boys were told their responsibilities, so we are hoping things go smoother. Some of the other mothers in Chennai and I were talking, and we said that fathers really do have blinders on most of the time, focusing serially on their job, or the car, or the kids, and do not seem able to parallel-process or multi-task. To his credit, Scott is trying, and realises how valuable the experience of working in America is for me; to sit in on lectures and Grand Rounds is such a treat, and I have eaten almost every salad in sight.
My mother-in-law had a package for me that my friend Olivia Fondoble had sent. I simply love packages, and Olivia had, extremely considerately, put in things that the 3 Weiss men and I particularly like: trail mix (a new favorite), chocolate, other candy, and pencils for our tutoring kids. Olivia is a gentle, kind sort, and I am fortunate to know her.
Ok, more soon. I am desperate to find an automobile by Tuesday the 26th, and all hints are welcome.
Unw -
R
posted by Renu Weiss at
12:43 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home