Mr Christopher Bulstrode FRCS. Minting It During " Trips in the Snow"
During my teenage years before I was imprisoned at medical school, I was fascinated by Dickens. I suppose we could say, he influenced the way I am and the way I think. Charles Dickens of course was the rebel of his time. His rebellion is seen through his narratives. A Christmas Carol is all about the spirit of Christmas and its actual meaning.
I note my blogging friends have not had the Christmas spirit quite hit them between the eyes. And as bloggers we are fairly powerful creatures. We can change the way people think just by penning a few words on here. There is much talk of how unfair the system is and how disgruntled we all are, how our rights have been breached but today 10 days away from Christmas there is little regarding its meaning. As humans we often simply "want want want" or "take take take" and we are never satisfied with the good fortune we actually have. As doctors we are in a privilaged position. We all have warm houses, we have food on the table and we probably have families. We also have the power through blogging and through the work in the NHS to make a difference to those much less fortunate than ourselves. Society has become so complex, life has become one of high expectation and we often forget that those of us who are able should be able to help those who are unable.
Over the past year many bloggers have become friends. Some have learned to accept others. Even Dr Grumble has come out of his secluded shell to comment on the medical blogging family. Dr Grumble has met a human :- )
JD describes Christmas Cards. Of course, for me Christmas Cards are for those who I think of during that period. I think Christmas cards are really important to remind people that they are in your thoughts and that they have not been forgotten. I have stopped sending cards through the post and instead opted to send e-cards because the numbers are now in their thousands. Over the years, the numbers keep building up but that is a good thing. I always find that the destruction of communities within societies should be replaced by communities within the internet. The principles are more or less the same.
So I do think everyone should become a little more thoughtful in the next 10 days or so and remind themselves that the most important things in life are kindness, being thoughtful and friendship. Friendship of course comes in many shapes and sizes but at least it comes more than it goes. So for those who feel unhappy because life isn't perfect, just remember it could be considerably worse. We should all be grateful for what we have not what we haven't got. I think as a society we are always driven to live up to so many expectations that we forget to be ourselves.
From my end of things, I am actually fairly happy - happier than I have ever been. I know this may not sit well with certain people or the GMC but I am very grateful for my family, my friends and those I value most in the whole world. I am though fortunate to have come across so many wonderful people not only through NHS Exposed but through day to day life.
I am particularly grateful for Witchdoctor and her Cat who has never judged me or questioned me but simply accepted me as I am. Since 2007, her witterings in her quirky witchy way have amused me and kept me going when no one else was around. I think she should be blamed for the fact that I got my act together after being fired last year and seized the day. I believe I was rudderless for about 2 months last year. It took me quite sometime to find my way out. Oh we shouldn't admit weakness but there is nothing wrong with admitting the impact some bloggers to have on others. I suspect Witchdoctor caught my imagination because I have always liked tales of Witches and Wizardly. Anyway, it was something to get me back to par.
So yes, while all my friends and colleagues walked passed me last year, Witchdoctor was around and I appreciated that and owe her one. In fact, had it not been for her, I would have shut all the websites and blogs, walked away and never returned.
And yes, the snow effect on our blogs can also be blamed on Witchy :) :). As a very influential witch, she will understand the fact that some of us follow her trends. I have ensured she gets her fix of Christopher Bulstrode because Witchdoctor often misses him.
She knows how much she likes writing about the best Scrooge of the internet waves - The Pyjama Man. Perhaps she would like to entertain us all and summarise Pyjama Man's scroogy little ways. Lets start with the suitcases of money he makes out of trips and falls :).
"Contemporaries noted that the story's popularity played a critical role in redefining the importance of Christmas and the major sentiments associated with the holiday. A Christmas Carol was written during a time of decline in the old Christmas traditions.[4] "If Christmas, with its ancient and hospitable customs, its social and charitable observances, were in danger of decay, this is the book that would give them a new lease", said English poet Thomas Hood.[5]
I note my blogging friends have not had the Christmas spirit quite hit them between the eyes. And as bloggers we are fairly powerful creatures. We can change the way people think just by penning a few words on here. There is much talk of how unfair the system is and how disgruntled we all are, how our rights have been breached but today 10 days away from Christmas there is little regarding its meaning. As humans we often simply "want want want" or "take take take" and we are never satisfied with the good fortune we actually have. As doctors we are in a privilaged position. We all have warm houses, we have food on the table and we probably have families. We also have the power through blogging and through the work in the NHS to make a difference to those much less fortunate than ourselves. Society has become so complex, life has become one of high expectation and we often forget that those of us who are able should be able to help those who are unable.
Over the past year many bloggers have become friends. Some have learned to accept others. Even Dr Grumble has come out of his secluded shell to comment on the medical blogging family. Dr Grumble has met a human :- )
"People learn to trust you by your blogging. That is how they know you. They feel that they are thinking in similar ways and that earns you some respect in their eyes. One blogger told Dr Grumble something that was very personal, something that was very hard for her to talk about. Perhaps it was something she did not mention much, if at all, to people closer to her than Dr Grumble. Dr Grumble was touched and flattered. It brought home to him the closeness of the blogging fraternity. To some extent he even wonders if anonymity can bring a frankness and closeness that is more difficult in a face-to-face encounter"
JD describes Christmas Cards. Of course, for me Christmas Cards are for those who I think of during that period. I think Christmas cards are really important to remind people that they are in your thoughts and that they have not been forgotten. I have stopped sending cards through the post and instead opted to send e-cards because the numbers are now in their thousands. Over the years, the numbers keep building up but that is a good thing. I always find that the destruction of communities within societies should be replaced by communities within the internet. The principles are more or less the same.
So I do think everyone should become a little more thoughtful in the next 10 days or so and remind themselves that the most important things in life are kindness, being thoughtful and friendship. Friendship of course comes in many shapes and sizes but at least it comes more than it goes. So for those who feel unhappy because life isn't perfect, just remember it could be considerably worse. We should all be grateful for what we have not what we haven't got. I think as a society we are always driven to live up to so many expectations that we forget to be ourselves.
From my end of things, I am actually fairly happy - happier than I have ever been. I know this may not sit well with certain people or the GMC but I am very grateful for my family, my friends and those I value most in the whole world. I am though fortunate to have come across so many wonderful people not only through NHS Exposed but through day to day life.
I am particularly grateful for Witchdoctor and her Cat who has never judged me or questioned me but simply accepted me as I am. Since 2007, her witterings in her quirky witchy way have amused me and kept me going when no one else was around. I think she should be blamed for the fact that I got my act together after being fired last year and seized the day. I believe I was rudderless for about 2 months last year. It took me quite sometime to find my way out. Oh we shouldn't admit weakness but there is nothing wrong with admitting the impact some bloggers to have on others. I suspect Witchdoctor caught my imagination because I have always liked tales of Witches and Wizardly. Anyway, it was something to get me back to par.
So yes, while all my friends and colleagues walked passed me last year, Witchdoctor was around and I appreciated that and owe her one. In fact, had it not been for her, I would have shut all the websites and blogs, walked away and never returned.
And yes, the snow effect on our blogs can also be blamed on Witchy :) :). As a very influential witch, she will understand the fact that some of us follow her trends. I have ensured she gets her fix of Christopher Bulstrode because Witchdoctor often misses him.
She knows how much she likes writing about the best Scrooge of the internet waves - The Pyjama Man. Perhaps she would like to entertain us all and summarise Pyjama Man's scroogy little ways. Lets start with the suitcases of money he makes out of trips and falls :).
0 comments:
Post a Comment