Morning Report

Nothing much going on this morning. My 9:30 appointment is a no show, so now I'm just sitting in my office, next to my boss, trying to look busy and interested in what's going on around me. I don't think I'm doing well!

There is good news, though. Yesterday, after being a bit of a pest, I was finally able to land an interview with a hospice non-profit firm! It's not for another week and a half - the 18th, to be specific, but still, it's something. I know that I am cleared for another residency for next year, but - all things being equal - I really don't need one to do the work. Most chaplains only do one residency. I've got two under my belt and a third on the way.

10:01 Sorry for the delay in writing, just had a drop in patient visit.

Won't bother you with the details. This was just one of those sad cases where a guy's life is a mess and he's trying to put it back together. Type of case where I end up thinking that I've really got my stuff in order. Which is odd, because most of the time I feel as if everything is spinning out of control. I guess the point is no matter what is going on, whether life is chaotic or stable, we still have to deal with it. And learning to deal with whatever happens is one of life's great lessons. This patient needs to learn to cope with his issues, just as I need to learn to cope with mine. By the way, I bought a book recently by Pema Chodron, entitled Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion. Great book. I lent it briefly to Whirling Dervish, as we're both dealing with loads of uncertainty as we face a job market that seems almost hostile to chaplains, especially chaplains of our particular theological leanings (probably as close to Unitarian Universalist as one can get without actually joining that tradition - of course, Whirling Dervish may disagree with me on that point; it's just my humble opinion). When I found it in the bookstore, One Ring heard the title and said, "BUY IT!" When Whirling Dervish told his wife about the book, she said, "You need to get it. NOW!" So there you go.

Okay, time for me to get busy. I need to run up to the hospice floor and see what's going on there. Then lunch and an afternoon spent in the substance abuse treatment center. I really need to get to kung fu tonight, as I've missed the last two weeks (and received an email from my sifu essentially telling me to get my tail in gear!). Then on Sunday I'm going to the Tibetan Buddhist temple to see what that's about. I love religious exploration! : )

And yes, I'm in a much better mood today.

Peace out.