You have to walk before you can run

When I worked in the Nursing Department one of my colleagues used to say, "students have to walk before they can run". I loved his lines because students wanted to do it all, as soon as they possibly could or even before. Students are notorious for asking the most technical questions known to man. They would come to me asking about something they had read in a book, and could I just explain what it meant. Of course I couldn't, I had no clue what they were even talking about. At times, it would leave me with a sense of inadequacy. This same colleague would say, "don't get caught up in what they are asking, just remember you know more than they do". All very true. 

I have my own line that I say to people that have stood the test of time in the workplace. They may be facing retirement or getting phased out in their position. My line is, "you have forgotten more than they will ever know". It can be exhausting to have newbies come into your workplace full of ideas and the right way to do things.  Don't get me wrong, I love new and inventive things, and when that doesn't work, I also like tried and true. Clearly, the world is becoming technical and that is certainly a world I would be lost in. I doubt I could even walk in that world right now; I would be crawling for sure.

After my recent experience with Mom in the hospital, I realized the nurses were running. They knew their stuff and I felt so confident in them. I did encounter what I call a wheel spinner. We all have them in our workplace, and you know exactly what I am talking about. As the days went on, I noticed there didn't seem to be anyone that was walking. By walking I mean the person taking care of the little details. In my world, that usually fell on a nurses' aide to do that. It was hard to decide if there was an aide on the ward because the name tags only stated a name. It was clear to me who the RNs were but nothing else. I would play seek and find to see if I could find someone that filled that "walker" role. 

We met a student that was in her fourth year in Respiratory Therapy. She was going into her final practicum which would be 11 months straight. She was very much walking at the point at which we saw her. But she had great preceptors that were running. Her eyes were glued to what her preceptor was doing. She was taking it all in, always a few steps behind. She was alone one day, and I asked her a question. Panic almost overcame her, and she said, "I'm only a student and my preceptor will be right here". I assured her I was fine with what she knew, and the sign of relief was evident. Let's be honest here, any question I have about respiratory technology could probably be answered by a year one student. She did just fine, and I hope in that moment she felt empowered. In the next 11 months, I hope that she gains the confidence she is clearly lacking. Right now, she is at a slow walk, but I know she will be picking up the pace very soon.  

I heard a man say that his parents had run so he could walk. He was a son of an immigrant family, and as we all know many come to our country with very little, to make a better life for themselves but especially for their children. He described their sacrifices as running, providing him with more opportunities so he could walk. I love how children of immigrants are so grateful for the sacrifices their parents have made for them. I feel we who grew up in a free and safe country don't look at sacrifices our parents made in the same way. Our parents maybe didn't run, but they walked at a very steady pace to provide and to be good role models. 

Not everyone wants to run in their lives. Some people are content with just walking through life. They basically do the same thing every day, interact with the same people and couldn't be more content. Slow and steady is how they live. Then there are the people that are always seeking something, something new or creative or different. I think of these types of people as those that never really unpack their suitcase because they have another trip already planned. They have apps on their phones with exciting things to do. They can't wait to "do something". I feel I am a mix of both of these type of people. I am finding the older I get the more content I am not to repack the suitcase or miss something I thought I had to attend. I think I am getting more content with slow and steady. 

I do know that if you are a walker and you are beside someone that is a runner that is exhausting, the same goes for the other way around. If you are walking or running through life, enjoy your own speed, just make sure you are taking in what life has to offer you.