extraordinary task

First years are refreshing creatures. I was talking to a first year the other day and she wants to be a medical missionary in Africa. She said, “I’m am so excited I got picked for this, so excited that this is my task. It’s extraordinary that this is my life.”

And I had to take a step away and ponder for a while. She reminds me how extraordinary the task really is. What a privilege it all is. Its a privilege to be in medical school, particularly a decent medical school in the United States no less.

Similarly ever once in a while when I am cruising in the green machine it occurs to me that it is such a privilege to be here and such a task. I do feel that its about a little bit more than medical education. I would be naive to think that I am not representing my people in a unique and at times challenging way. I didn’t really plan on signing up for that but it came with the package deal. Its a extraordinary task.

In my ordinary day to day study and routine I find my heart and mind wanders elsewhere and wishes for life to be a bit more exciting and little less frustrating and with less time spent with my nose in the book. But I realize that I am being narrow minded. I am not seeing the scope. I am not seeing the task before me, only the task in front of me.

While I sit here stewing about the disaster that was cardio or how I am now living in PDA central (my roomies both have boys who spend a lot of time in our living room) or how much I miss people and places and lesser tasks, I am missing the point. Because beyond the waves of anxiety, inadequateness and pettiness my calling, my task, my dreams are still there just ahead of me. The same as there were holding an abandoned infant, or walking with Aurel or holding my college diploma or staring at a star studded sky on a crisp fall night back in the mid 90s when all of this was just a daydream.

All I have to do is just keep following them. Looking at the extraordinary things that come to pass (Roanoke, Wake, Romania, Belarus, LP, so many wonderful amazing things), how can I not be excited about the future and the extraordinary task ahead?