"I was there"

I am in the middle of work, and probably should not be blogging, but i just sat and talked with a piece of history and while it is still fresh on my mind...i wanted to share.

Working at the VA is a great experience for me...you have your good and your bad days...and your good and your bad patients...but there are days like today that you hope you never forget.

I brought back my 1 oclock patient, took him into the earwash room to take a peek in his ears and ask him a few questions about his noise exposure, ear problems, hearing issues, etc....

When I asked him what branch of the military he was in, he proudly replied "Navy"

When I asked him about his history of noise exposure, he replied "I was there, Pearl Harbor, December 7th, 1941...i was there"

My heart skipped a beat. I already get a warm feeling serving those who have served us. I have spoken with WWII vets who were shot in the face, fought face to face with Germans, rode tanks into Germany, etc...I come from a line of Navy Vets, Air Force Vets, a Marine Vet who was there for the raising of the flag at Iwo Jema...but I have never gotten to sit and talk with them when they were available to talk...and being here at work, i have little to no time to hear about history....and even if I did, I am not sure any of these guys would be willing to share. Some of them still have a hard time thinking about what they saw.

Today, I was selfish, and I took my time to hear him talk. It was after the hearing test and I was making impressions of his ears for hearing aids....I asked him to tell me about it. And he did.

He joined the Navy December 16th, 1940. Arrived in Hawaii in March 1941 and was on the U.S.S. Nevada on December 7th 1941. For those of you who are not familiar (which was me and I had to google it)...this is what wikipedia says about the U.S.S. Nevada.

"In World War II, she was one of the battleships trapped when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. She was the only battleship to get underway during the attack, making the ship "the only bright spot in an otherwise dismal and depressing morning".[12] Still, she was hit by one torpedo and at least six bombs while steaming away from Battleship Row, forcing her to be beached. "

He spent 6 years in the Navy until he got an honorable discharge. He and his brother both were there, and they both survived.

After the appointment, he took me out to the lobby where his daughter was sitting. He showed me his official discharge papers from the Navy and his application for a medal for fighting in Pearl Harbor. His daughter told me that he didnt start talking about his experiences until about 10 years ago. Can you imagine bottling that up for 50 years?

I need to get back to work, so I will have to cut this short...but I was so blown away and humbled by the moment I got to spend with a piece of history...i wanted to share. It isnt every day like this that I am reminded just how much people have sacrificed for our safety and freedom...

Greys, Wine, One Day Closer to the Weekend

Its Thursday night...usually the night I spend sipping white wine while snuggled up on my couch with my fluffy white pup and I watch high quality television like Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, and now Private Practice....while either skyping with Jessica or calling Jessica and Lisha on three way during commercial breaks.

Tonight is different...but I am still sipping my white wine and snuggling with Miss Rea...tonight, i have a headache and Grey's is a re-run...

The headache I can handle...the re-run I can not....It should be unacceptable for the American people to be forced to watch a Grey's re-run when it is not summer, Christmas break, or during a writer's strike....

Since I do have a headache...my blog will be short and pointless, like many will be in the future...

Im going to finish my glass of Chardonnay, turn on my heated mattress pad, take my warm shower and get in bed...will have to pass on the extra strength Tylenol for the moment...the acetaminophen/alcohol mix makes me nervous.

Well, tomorrow is the weekend...and I am welcoming it with open arms...of course, I am headed back to Little Rock...spending the weekend with Bradley and my 2 favorite furry butts...Headed to the play the ponies on Saturday with the Hornes and then Bradley and I are headed back on Sunday for some Superbowl excitement and snuggling.

OH! I think that through my blog I will keep my loyal readers (aka Jessie) up to date with my job hunting endeavors,
Today, I applied for a job in Nashville, Tn. Not my first choice (hope no one reads this from Nashville) but I would like a job!
I plan on applying in Shreveport, LA and Hampton, VA.

Ok...now the headache is demanding my full attention...

Good night one and all!

Snowing in Memphis

It snowed today...for the first time since I have lived in Memphis, we have actually gotten the weather that they called for...I am not NEAR the photographer that Cara Beth is...but I took these pictures with my camera

My First Blog

i am not a blogger...i never think I have that much that is interesting to say...my days are boring and repetitive....however, i enjoy reading other people's blogs....so i figured I might make on too.

Jessie and I had an interesting conversation today about a blog she has been keeping up with...and referred me to read...and i became enthralled in that person's life like I had met her before (which I have not)...I saw her real friends and "blog" friends reaching out to her, comforting her, supporting her, and even driving long distances to visit her when she was going through a very hard time with the illness of her newborn. What an amazing support system to have.

Now it sounds like I have set the bar VERY high for my expectations of what this blog may bring....I havent. I actually expect that two people will read this periodically and then stop when I have quit updating it.

Like I said...i dont have very many interesting things to say or to report on.

I do miss my XANGA (I deleted it and now wish I hadnt)...it is so funny to look back on those from the past that were written by Alicia, Andrea, Cara Beth, etc and see what was so trivial and funny back then...and now they dont even seem to matter or even refresh our memory as to why it was funny...(X-Men...Andrea?)

So there, i have written my first blog...and it wasnt as painful as I thought it might be...

Keep checking for updates...lol

Walking in Memphis,
Whitney