Last night, I worked very late, actually until four o'clock in the morning. I began my day with a seven o'clock case with one surgeon at the surgery center, and finished by two more cases with the same surgeon at the hospital Main Operating Room...and there were nine cases in between with others.
Last night I walked into the nurses' lounge to heat up my leftovers. The microwave oven is the great equalizer. If you are a doctor, you want to heat up your lunch, you have to go to the nurses' lounge. I'm generally accepted by the nurses, ever since I was in training, and this is my routine when I am at work.
This time, it was the cleaning people who had taken up the main table with a beautiful Mexican buffet spread of food--all the toppings, and lots of beef. They were just sitting to eat, around six people. There was easily food for twenty or more people between them.
I was not invited to join them.
This breaks every rule in the O.R.
Anything on that table in the break room is for everyone, unless it is your own personal meal you brought or bought for yourself. Group meals are for all those who are working. I have bought meals for these same people many times when I am on call. Many times, catered Italian food. They take home the extra tin foil trays of food left over, We all know it.
I took my warm chicken tikka masala and used a little tray table by the TV which was blaring CNN, just steps away and looked at my phone.
And they ate. They laughed and ate among themselves and didn't acknowledge me.
Others came into the room, even the charge nurse. And they invited everyone else, except me.
The charge nurse, a Filipino and young mom I've known for years, asked me if I wanted any? She invited me. She has excellent social skills.
I politely declined as I pointed to my meal and said 'I have to eat my leftovers'.
I don't eat beef but I didn't say anything, as what they were eating was lots of beef.
Many people have a chip on their shoulder when it comes to people they believe make more money than them.
It doesn't matter how hard the people with the higher paying jobs worked and how long they trained and how much they went into debt to get that position.
There is resentment, it is palpable and it hurts when you are shunned like I was yesterday.
Situations like this speak volumes about them and not about you.
Furthermore they present opportunities to forgo holding grudges, and to be loving in return.
Somewhere, back Home where these workers are from, and also, back Home in Heaven, they are as beautiful and innocent in their souls as these two children playing with the balloons crossing the stream.
When you have a gut reaction and you contemplate the need to shut down and close off, OPEN.
It is the Way.
You don't have to open your mouth or explain anything.
Open your heart.
All hearts will hear what yours has to say to them.
Every time.
Always.
clap! clap!
Aloha and Mahalos,
Namaste,
Peace,
Ross and Carla
The Family
