Tuesday, September 30, 2014

News Coming At You Fast

Have you ever sat and watched an ant? Actually watched it without squishing it, teasing it by sticking a large object in its way or drowning the ant hill with water from your water bottle? Fine, I am guilty as charged to all those things. But I have also just sat and watched one before. It’s intriguing (I’m cheaply entertained….and easily awed) to try and figure out exactly what it is doing, where it is going, and why in the world it is carrying something 10x its size and weight. The fascinating thing is, it knows exactly where it is going and how to get there (despite being the size of….an ant) and is astoundingly capable of carrying ridiculous (and seemingly unnecessary, but apparently important to the ant) things to and fro.


Right?! I really hope this picture is real because that's just amazing.


Thinking about the past few weeks, I have felt like that ant. Running around, perhaps seemingly directionless, but with a purpose and destination. Sensing the threat of being squished, blocked or drowned at any moment. Feeling the pressure of carrying a lot on body, mind and spirit. But like the pictured ant’s excellent choice of cargo (Ritz bitz forever), I know the weight of these things are necessary, manageable, and rewarding.


All that to say…


It’s been a little hectic “up in here” and I don’t even know where to begin. So I’m just going to blurt out random things in list form. So in no particular order, my life as of late:


→ By this exact date last year, I had been in Haiti for one week. I never cease to be amazed at what occurs and what is experienced and learned over the course of a year. On a similar note, I’ve been home from Haiti now for 5 months already. How is that possible?! I think about Haiti continuously, every day.


→ New job is going well. 5 weeks of orientation down, 19 to go. There’s so much more to say on this topic than is capable in a bullet point. I think I’ll just have to make “Operating Room Stories and Life Lessons Learned” a weekly column on this blog. But for now, I’ll just leave you with this: I held intestines in my hands. It was SO cool. Enough said.

→ I moved to an apartment with my beautiful friend Ann. I’m excited for this new phase. We love our place. Borderline obsessed. Can’t wait for visitors!! And perhaps this is grounds for yet another possible blog column: “Apartment Stories and Life Lessons Learned of Becoming Domestic.” For starters...today I stopped by the apartment to drop off something quick and deliberately decided to just leave my purse (containing keys and phone...you know where this is going) in the car while I ran the things inside. Just as deliberately and habitually, I pressed the automatic lock door while I got out of the car. No dramatics yet at this point, though, because I didn’t even realize what had happened until I had returned to the car and was ready to leave. Knocked on three doors before finding someone who was home and could let me borrow their phone. Suppose that is one way of getting to know your neighbors! Thanks, Mom, for rescuing me with a spare key.


→ Did I mention that I am going to Africa?! So that’s happening. As in, my flight leaves in 2 hours.  I am meeting my sister, brother-in-law and precious nephew in Chicago and accompanying them back to Guinea.  Yes, in my last post I reflected on how it wasn’t happening.  But now it is!!  And there’s a whole lot more to say about that, but there just isn’t time. So look forward to recap of those events, as well as Africa experiences, in one month when I return!  

Peace.

2 comments:

  1. Wow, have a great journey Kerri!
    Love reading about your life, your an inspiration!

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  2. I pray for protection and safe travel for you and your family. I hope to catch up with you soon. It's been too long.

    ReplyDelete