Normalcy, Early Twenties, Religion, and Fertility

There have been some things going on in my life recently that are out of the ordinary. First of all, I am tired. I have been sick with 'the crud' as my patients call it. This mysterious illness consists of sore, scratchy throat, cough, congestion, nasal congestion, and ear irritation. At once. However, these symptoms may make you feel like ass, you're still not actually sick enough to miss work. Balls. Like no fever, not contagious, nothing to make the boss find coverage for me. That's the trouble with working for a physician, they kind of know when you're too sick to work and send you home. If you don't show up, they want a note. So has been the last week of my life; sick, but not quite sick enough.

Normal. You're not like normal girls, you're only nice one week out of the month. What exactly is normal? I made this bowl of corn noodles for you and I made regular noodles for the normal people. I just want to have one normal day. Whatever that means. I mean really, what is normal? Who gets to decide what is and isn't normal. I might not be the most normal person I know, but I'm normal for me. I want to have a text-book normal day at work. Just once. I guess when I find that leprechaun I'll be sure to get my three wishes and ask for that one as well as cures for all currently incurable diseases.

I have a new roommate. He's 24. He moved in on Friday, and it's the first time we've met. It seems like we'll get along. Honestly. But his friends..... The early twenties male is different from the late twenties, rounding thirty male. Add alcohol to this and I don't think that I need to elaborate on that. I find them annoying, and intolerable. Over the summer I was happy to be around this age group, as they were so cute and fun. But as a sober woman that's getting over 'the crud' they bugged the hell out of me. My new roommie actually called me after they had all left my house on Saturday from the quite comforts of his truck on the way to the gym and apologized to me for their behavior. I took this as a good thing. He realizes his friends are idiots too. All in all, I think we will get along just fine. And my landlord evidently has faith in me that I could get along with anyone. Little does he know I'm only nice one week a month.

I also have had my questionable religious practices thrown up in my face lately. Let me point out that other people, normal people, have been asking the questions. I was raised to be Catholic. I do not practice, and have not practiced Catholicism for the last few years. I did, however go with my mum and g-ma two weeks ago and they spewed from the pulpit that when people get married it's for life blah blah bullshit. I looked at my mother. She says to me that God has never meant for anyone to stay in a dangerous situation, that's why He gave me the strength to break free. OKay, way to put a spin on it for me, mum. I enjoy my time watching church on TV. The TV evangelists are entertaining as well as passionate about the Bible. I pray to God and to the saints (that's the Catholic in me.) I also believe in the chakra's and healing through crystals or meditation (that's the hippie in me.) I believe the universe sends us signs and we can either take heed or ignore them. I believe in karma and auras. Maybe you think I'm wrong, and that's fine with me. I've never claimed to be right. For all I know, the Amish have it right and we're all going to hell for using electricity.

My mortality has been challenged. My best friend's husband had leukemia. He was diagnosed over seven years ago. He is doing great. In fact, out of the people who received treatment in his care unit, he is the only survivor. He is now sterile, and in preparation for this made a small deposit to a special savings account to be held on ice. His wife has tried IUI three times without pregnancy. She has even donated her eggs for a couple that could not conceive with their own. She asked me to go with them yesterday up to Maryland for implantation, IVF. They took two 8 cell embryo's and placed them in her uterus. Then we drove home. She will know in 10 days if her body will nurture them, or has expelled them. As I sat there in the waiting room of this extrodinary facility that gives life to the barren, I realized that we were all in here, this room for the same reason. That makes it different than your normal doctor's appointment. There are great odds that I too will be sitting in that waiting room as a patient one day. Should I decide to procreate. Should I find someone that I could share a life with. And after all the hormones and procedures and shots and pills that my dear sweet friend has endured, I just looked at the two of them and I couldn't imagine ever being strong enough to go through it. When he was in the hospital, beating the odds, fighting for his life and through recovery, he borrowed her strength. Now she uses his. Looking at them makes me see the value of love.

So I have had some reflecting to do. Reflection is always good, right? I don't know that I'm going to be a nicer person more than one week out of the month, but we'll see. I actually have taken a small poll. Everyone's first reaction to the question: Am I only nice one week out of the month? has been one of two things. Either a half smile, yeah when you're PMSing- just kidding! or a tilt of the head and high-pitched, no, I wouldn't exactly say that. *shrug* Whateva. I'm not fool enough to think that I'm not a work in progress.