Crab Mentality
As I am about to end my pediatrics rotation I pause for a while and think, is it all worth it? Am I ready for more sleepless nights, the harassments, the unkind words and the harsh treatments? Should I have taken the chance to transfer to another hospital where the conditions may not be that much better, but at least I will be among friends? I honestly don’t know how long I can keep up with this kind of treatment, but there is one saving grace to all this madness.
It was during my tour of duty at the out patient department, as always we were packed to the rafters as an endless sea of sick kids brought in by their parents came in droves for a chance that a remedy to their ailments was at hand. I was all alone that day as my resident told me that I could handle the remaining cases for the day. I was just about to give up, thinking that I would still be on duty at the emergency room later when the last patient for the day came in accompanied by both parents. Thankfully it was just a follow up case and she was doing well. They were thanking me profusely for apparently taking good care of their sick child while he was still in the wards. I can barely remember what I did for them that seemed so important, but apparently to them I was definitely not forgotten. It was then that they handed me a plastic bag containing a singular crab. It was large by any standard and I stupidly asked them what it was for. It was a gift they said. It was their way to show their thanks. Initially I didn’t want to accept it, telling them that they needed it more than I did, knowing quite well that the population we serve at the hospital are the lower income bracket, or simply put those who could not afford better equipped hospitals. But they insisted that I take it, it was just a catch from their fish pond they said. Then I remembered something about the rich and poor. The rich give to others what they have in excess, but the poor give all that they have. I did not want to insult their generosity so I accepted their gift and fervently hoped for their good health.
It could have happened to anybody, you probably already heard a similar story from someone else, but in the end this is my story. And maybe, this is the reason why, regardless of the million other reasons I have for leaving this place, I’ve decided that I’m staying.
Sublimity. Absurdity. Reality. 