I've spent the past 8 weeks meticulously recording and presenting histories and physicals in the ER, and even after writing everything I still have to refer to my papers. Somehow the docs, without taking a single note, are able to recall every blasted detail on every single patient. Hello, you have 10 patients, how do remember all this?
Then there's my 23 year old classmate who, having misread the calendar, put together a brilliant presentation during a 30 minute lunch break while the rest of us labored for hours the night before.
And, oh, I am not tone deaf but I'll spend like 20 minutes banging on the A key of the piano, trying to tune my cello. I show up for lessons and my teacher flinches when I play the open strings. "Can you hear it?" she asks. Help!
The geniuses are the ones who were doing long division while I was still trying to figure out which way the whale's mouth went for greater-than and less-than. That's New Math for you and I am clearly a victim. (Actually, I have no idea if that's New Math or not, lacking genius and all...)
I've decided what separates the geniuses from the rest of us are 1) Photographic Memory 2) Exceptional Insight 3) The organic equivalent of Cable vs Dial-up--whatever that may be.
I understand completely. I had an art project due the other day, stayed up practically the whole night trying to get it done. All in all I think I spent 9 hours at least on it. Got to class, where everyone had amazing projects they'd done in an hour or less.
ReplyDeleteOh to be gifted...
You are at least aware that is Renee Fleming with Yo Yo Ma? :)
ReplyDeleteYour blog post made me laugh out loud. I understand completely in your frustrations because I am not gifted, nor fast...at anything. Ever notice how our mother can put together a 9 course meal for 12 in a matter of hours?
ReplyDeleteSorry, looked at my post and realized that the second sentence doesn't make sense. What I meant to say was that I completely empathize with your level of frustration...
ReplyDeleteYes, I know that's Renee. Photos are not chosen at random.
ReplyDeleteThe docs are not remembering everything, they are just acting very confident. It's expected, so just return the act!
ReplyDeleteIgnore everyone under 30 (maybe 40), and have your piano tuned. Life is good!!
ha, ha, ha...hilarious.
ReplyDeleteSonja, you are one of those geniuses you are just super humble and not as confident in realizing you are a genius! Trust me on this one.
ReplyDeleteAnd many times people totally down play the time they actually spent on a project. When they say 20 minutes they might really mean 2 hours or even more.
Sonja,
ReplyDeleteIf you aren't the genius of MMI's class of 84, then who is? And remember, you had REAL competition there... Muna, Katie, Teresa O. But I still pick you!
Also, remember that TRUE genius, the kind where you can read at 3 or play Mozart at 4 or do trigonometry at 5... well, that's great but there's a dark side to it too... who wants to be the tortured wunderkind who can't relate to peers and is likely to stick her head in the oven at the ripe old age of 32 (think Sylvia Plath)... I'll take being Ordinary with a Curious Mind any day!
The genius of MMI's class of 84 is Katie Sheldon,no question about it.
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