I know it was expected that this entry would be Sally's adventures part 2, but as I'm not I'm not on my laptop at present, I have no Sally photos. Shock horror. I shall do that blog entry later or tomorrow. Probably tomorrow.
Today I had my second driving lesson. I was allowed drive out on open roads, woot! Up until now I have been in an estate. The driving on proper roads was a bit nerve wrecking to be honest. I went into auto pilot, just doing (or attempting to do) what she (the instructor)instructed, ie, "turn left, go into second, clutch in etc etc" Hopefully I will gain some confidence by my next venture out.
I was thinking about how I will probably never forget my Italian driving instructor. No matter how many years go by, or where in the world I go or end up, I will never forget her. Sure, I may forget her physical appearence, the colour of her hair, perhaps even her name, but I will foever remember the lessons she has taught me. It is the same with everyone I meet in life. I believe we all have a purpose in life. No matter who you are, you can teach others and you can learn from others too.
Due to my medical condition, I was in and out of hospital every so often when I was growing up. This meant that I came to meet people from all walks of life from a very young age. While many 4year olds' social circle is comprised mainly of other 4 year olds, I had met people of all age and backgrounds and I think that is what makes me, or made me open to trying new things, learning new things and meeting more new people. I am adventurous at heart, and believe life is far too short to sit inside all day and watch the days go by (though at difficult times this is often the easier option). I often wonder, had I not been born with a medical condition and been exposed to things I mentioned above, would I be content just to do the '9-5', 'go with life' routine. I simply can't imagine living like that now anyway.
As I said before, I believe we can all learn from eachother. I have learned so much from nurses who I have met, like how to be compassionate and understanding, and at the same time being on the ball and getting a job done. The majority of nurses I have met have been lovely, but even the ones who I wasn't too fond of, I can learn from. I learn to know that I should be careful to learn not to act in whatever manner it was that annoyed me. When I was six, I met the Duchess of York in hosptial. She asked me whether I thought the nurses were Dragons or Fairies. I replied Dragons, simply because they used to have to hold me down to give me very very painful medication (which of course was for my own good). I detested that with a passion, and I believe that is where my phobia for canulas (drips) comes from. But nonetheless, I have the upmost respect for each and every one of those nurses, because obviously, it was their compassion that was the over riding factor in how I look back and remember them. I don't think of them as monsters, but rather as kind people who had a lot of patience!
I learn from friends everyday. Again, even learn from their mistakes and knowing 'well I better not act like that' (ie, don't knock down people's bins!). I also learn that friends are probably the most important things in life. In my opinon without friends, you are nothing. I am very fortunate to have a close circle of friends who, though they don't always understand me, they are always here for me.
Growing up, I used to be sick most mornings. It wasn't a case of nausea, but rather being over full, which combined with a good coughing fit, would result in a quick 'sick'. When I was well, I would get sick maybe twice a week. When I was ill, it could be anywhere from 5-7 days a week. To me it didn't bother me. I had adapted from a young age. But in the schoolyard one day, I told a fellow 6 year old about my sickness. Her reply was 'Yeah right. I don't believe you. You'd be dead if you did that.' It was then that I learned that people my age didn't nessecarily understand the whole 'cystic fibrosis' thing, and from then on, I tended to keep rather quiet about it. But although they couldn't comprehend the physical aspect, their understanding and acceptance was something real, that many adults I had encountered couldn't do. Adults tended to fuss and 'make sure I was okay'; Children just tended to go with the flow.
Another example was when I met the daughter of my Mum's friend. She heard me cough every so often, until she asked me what the noise I was making was. I told her it was a cough, and asked did she not cough too? She replied that it had been months since she had coughed. I was gobsmacked. Did she really just say months?!! When I told my school friends about this amazing girl, they barely batted an eyelid, giving the whole "Sooo??!" attidude. I said in my defense "well I cough every DAY!", to which they replied, again barely batting an eyelid "Well that's 'cas that's just you Rosie". Children don't get into the concept of whys and 'unfairs'. They just go with the flow.
I doubt I have taught people much, but I know that I have learned a great deal from other people. I think this ties in with the importance of having a positive attitude. Even when you encounter [idiots] people you don't nessecarily agree with, you can take that onboard and move on and perhaps even learn from their mistakes. I think it helps when you meet ignorant or arogant people anyway. So in years to come, I will remember the lessons learned from positive people like my Italian teacher, but also from meanie doctors who have a poor beside manner. Just a thought....
Sally will be back later. I'm off to the CF fair now!
