There is this story that needs to be retold, for it leads to somewhere important, perhaps.
Due to financial constraints, a man lets out the first floor of his wooden house to an alcoholic. Every night the alcoholic would come in late, and just before he dozed off, would throw his shoes, one after the other, creating two bangs every night. This disturbed the owner no end. One day he musters the courage to tell the alcoholic to stop the bangs. That night, the alcoholic returns late and unaware of the promise he had made, he removes his right shoe and bangs it on to the wall. He then realizes that he had made a promise to the landlord not to bang the shoes. He stops and doesn't throw the other shoe. On the floor below, the landlord waits for the second bang, but none comes. He checks with the tenant, only to find him worried. The landlord was worried as to why the second bang didn't come through.
The expected did not happen, and that worried the landlord.
This week, I was to operate upon two pateints. One of them I refused because on reassessment I found that he would not benefit much from surgery. He was overjoyed. The expected didn't happen-to him.
The other patient had committed to surgery but didn't show up. It was an interesting case and I was looking forward to do it. The expected didn't happen- for me.
I noticed that I was preoccupied with this, "Why did the patient not come?" line of thought. Now, there are many things in life that should have happened but didn't, and that makes us anxious to some degree. It is what we do with what didn't happen to us that makes life fun or anxious--there is a choice. And it is important to be aware of this choice.
Due to financial constraints, a man lets out the first floor of his wooden house to an alcoholic. Every night the alcoholic would come in late, and just before he dozed off, would throw his shoes, one after the other, creating two bangs every night. This disturbed the owner no end. One day he musters the courage to tell the alcoholic to stop the bangs. That night, the alcoholic returns late and unaware of the promise he had made, he removes his right shoe and bangs it on to the wall. He then realizes that he had made a promise to the landlord not to bang the shoes. He stops and doesn't throw the other shoe. On the floor below, the landlord waits for the second bang, but none comes. He checks with the tenant, only to find him worried. The landlord was worried as to why the second bang didn't come through.
The expected did not happen, and that worried the landlord.
This week, I was to operate upon two pateints. One of them I refused because on reassessment I found that he would not benefit much from surgery. He was overjoyed. The expected didn't happen-to him.
The other patient had committed to surgery but didn't show up. It was an interesting case and I was looking forward to do it. The expected didn't happen- for me.
I noticed that I was preoccupied with this, "Why did the patient not come?" line of thought. Now, there are many things in life that should have happened but didn't, and that makes us anxious to some degree. It is what we do with what didn't happen to us that makes life fun or anxious--there is a choice. And it is important to be aware of this choice.
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