Throught the years, my parents have done volunteer work for several non-profit organizations - working for the improvement in living conditions in various countries around the globe. They would leave for months on end. My dad worked in the construction end of things while my mom would do garden work, painting, cooking - or knitting sweaters and slippers - even caring for sick children (in a capacity of an experienced mother who had had 5 children, in the absence of medical personnel) while in those other countries.
( The plane [photo above] that flew mom into the little village [photo below] in the middle of the jungle in South America - Suriname. Quite brave of her, and definitely not something I would do!! )
I will relate to you the following vignette, which is almost unbelievable, realizing there are 6.8 billion people in the world. Although, knowing all the places around the globe my folks have visited, and all the people they have met on these trips, I am not too surprised.
Still, what are the odds?
Neighbors of my folks were on vacation in Ireland. They just happened to stop in at a small town pub in the Middle of Nowhere. It was one of those little-hole-in-the-wall places that has the menu on a chalkboard over the bar. While they were discussing what to eat, a young newlywed couple on their honeymoon from New Zealand sat at a nearby table, and they - listening to their conversation, giggling at their 'accent' - asked where they were from.
"Canada" they generalized, not for a minute thinking that anyone from the other side of the world would know where their Province was, never mind our small town, population 800. The rest of the Conversation went something like this:
"Where in Canada? We have friends from Canada" the couple queried.
"Well, British Columbia...." the folks' friends offered, hoping that sounded familiar.
" British Columbia!? Our friends are from there too! What town?"
"Oh....a small village in the interior.....in “The Great Vineyard Valley" area.
"That's where our friends are from! What town??"
"TeensyTown......" how weird was this...
TeensyTown? But - that is where our friends live! Do you know the XXXXXs (my parents)???
Needless to say, my folk's neighbors were *gobsmacked*. Unbelievable to be standing in a small town half way round the world where they only just happened to stop by chance and running into someone else from half way round the world - and both knowing my parents very well - their paths intersecting....... serendipitously.
It is definitely a small world within the nursing community here in Canada also, and although perhaps not as dramatic as the story above, still amazing. At least, in the West it is. Whenever a new nurse starts out from another Western province or town, more often than not, they will discover that one of their new colleagues knows - or has a mutual acquaintance from - either their nursing school, or a former hospital, or friends in another town. There is no getting away from it.
When I moved back from California to a whole different Canadian city and hospital than which I started out my career, I found myself working with a former classmate from nursing school and a former co-worker from the first hospital I worked in - plus several other nurses who knew people I worked with in the past.
In every hospital I worked in thereafter, there was always someone who knew - or worked with people I knew. You can't get away with much in this neck of the woods. I guarantee it. It always catches up to you. At my present job, one of my colleagues is a nurse I worked with in Seattle. Small world.
This does create a blogging problem.
I am limited to how much I can say on my blog about my present nursing job. When you are dealing with reduced numbers in population (34million est Canadian pop. vs 309 million est USA pop.) – there are always too many identifying markers when telling a story, no matter how much you try to anonymize. There just isn't enough people here to fade into the woodwork.
So, that’s why you won't find much on here about my current nursing job - except for slight mentions. I quite like my job.....it's almost like *not working* - the days I am working at home - so I don’t want to jeopardize it in any way at all - because most employers do care about what you as their employee talks about if you identify them as your employer....since they usually feel it is a reflection on their business. Unfortunately, with the Government as my employer - there isn't going to be much opportunity to choose another.
Yep. Sure is a Small World.
2 comments:
Yeah I can definitely understand why you thought about closing it down. Glad you didn't though!
The number of colleagues that know about my blog is getting larger all the time--turns out word spreads like wildfire in that department!
I am not *as* concerned now because as of Monday I no longer will have an employer or a license really to worry about. I am careful though about what I say about the school--I try and be relatively respectful in case one of my profs stumbles on my blog. There are only 90 people in my class and only ONE former Canadian nurse so, wouldn't be too hard to figure it out!
I change a lot of the details--sex, age, etc. And I never say where exactly I am working. I hope this keeps things anonymous. I also only take photos or post them with the people's permission.
It's a gamble but...and addictive one!
Thanks! I appreciate your support! :) I only have one friend that knows who I am and reads this. Other than that...no one. I did read out a couple of entries to my mother...the one of my Grandmother. She really enjoyed it. But apart from the few people who have been reading me all along since the beginning....I have deleted anything to do with my present job...no one will know what I do in the field of nursing. I am saving all those stories for when I retire for *real*.:)
I love your blog btw...and it will be fun to follow you through med school. Hopefully you will get to come back to BC for some of your internships.
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