Saturday, November 15, 2008

UNMC Community Academy

Last summer I went to the summer session of the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Youth Learning Academy to learn more about the medical field. I had a lot of fun those two weeks, and I made new friends, learned a lot about the hospital, the workers in it, what they do, and stuff like that. Me and three other people formed a "quad." It was me, Sean, Katie, and Boni. Today was the first day of the fall sessions. I was sad to see that Katie and Boni weren't there, but happy to see Sean again. I am attending with my friend Ariana, so Sean, me, and Ariana decided to form a tripod. I am looking forward to the next session. It is really fun to learn about the different areas of the medical field. Last time I went, we visited lots of places in the hospital and one of them was the NICU (Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit). I've seen 8" babies on TV, but seeing them in real life hooked up to a bunch of tubes laying in an incubator was totally different.
You're probably wondering why I would want to get up at 6:30 every morning. Idon't like to get up that early (especially on a Saturday), but I do it because I want to have the best possible future career I can have. One that is rewarding, one that I love, and one that pays well. If I do go into the medical field, I would probably go into one of three areas:
(1) OBGYN. I love babies and delivering them would be so much fun. Plus, I might be able to possibly speak out against abortion without seeming like a preacher and make people feel less like they were being preached at and like they were being condemned. People don't like to be preached at, but if they are spoken with by a person of medical standing, they would probably feel less intimidated.
(2) Pediatrician. I have always been good with kids, and the doctor's is one of the most frightening and intimidating places. No doctor can make it less painful, but they can make it more fun and enjoyable for them. Also, if a kid is in the hospital for long periods of time, they get bored really quickly, and get frustrated and irritable. If they have someone that they know is going to be nice to them, and make them feel like a person, they might be more cooperative.
(3) Neo-natal Nurse. I guess you can see the pattern in all of these careers. I know that I want to work with kids in some way when I am older, and I especially love younger ones. Those little babies in the hospital are the cutest things you will ever see. They are also some of the most heart breaking things you will see. I want to do what I can to help them get better. In the NMC NICU they have a hallway with pictures of children who have been in the NICU and are now older and thriving despite the obstacles that some of them have. If a baby survives an abortion, they have to be rushed to the ER immediately. I have no idea how those nurses and doctors can kill them, and then possibly have to rush those same, screaming, tortured, LIVE babies to a place where they will be cared for. That wall wasn't just a place to tell about success stories, because they are more than success stories. Some of them overcame odds. And I want to be a part of helping them do that.
I don't know exactly if I will join the medical field, or if God has something else planned for me. Whatever it is, it will be the most rewarding thing I will ever do.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Spizerinctum

Yes--that is a real word, and it means vigor, vitality, or full of life. Recent events may have depressed our spirits, but we can have a spirit of "spizerinctum" because we have the joy of the Lord with us. I suppose a temporary solution would be to just pack up and move to a different country. But how many other countries have the freedom that we have? Not many. It just goes to show that above all else, man desires power, and to keep that power at whatever cost it comes with. The best solution my friends and I could come up with was to set up our own government in Antarctica. BUT, there was already a rule that was set up that says that no country could have total control of it. SO, there goes our plans. I suppose that moving away would not be the patriotic thing to do. We, as Americans, have a duty to our country. That duty is what keeps us free every day because of the loyalty of our troops.
One of my friends and I have created our own political party. Feel free to join us on Facebook. We are The Kidney Party. If you want to know what we stand for, there is a very brief description on the page. If you want specifics, I'll list a few for you right here.
(1) Abortion. I put this one first, because it is an issue that divides people so much anymore. We are totally against it, as it is the murder of an innocent human being, and in some cases takes two lives. I watch V and wonder how anyone could just kill their child like that. They say that a fetus (Latin for "Little One") is not a REAL human until a certain age, after birth. WELL, if you look at medical studies, heart beats and brain waves are detected at 15-20 weeks after conception. A 20-year-old has a heart beat and brain waves. Even an unborn child should have the right to have "spizerinctum".
(2) The War on Terror. We are totally supportive of our troops and will continue the fight until we have victory. If we stop the war and pull out, that's not going to do anyone any good, nor would it cause things to remain the same. If we want to keep peace, then we have to fight for it. That may seem like an oxy-moron to some, but that's the reality of war. What would have happened if America had pulled out of World War II? We don't even want to imagine it, do we? If our nation does become Socialist, then there wouldn't be much hope for anyone, and we would lose our spizerinctum.
(3) Gay marriage. We want to fight to keep marriage as God ordained in Genesis chapter 1. One man and one woman. Not two men, or two women, or one man and many women, or vice versa. Our culture has drifted so far away from God's original plans for us, that we can't even discern what is good for us and what's not. If we allow gays and lesbians to marry, there is no logical stopping point, and we would have to allow people to marry what ever they want. You could marry your dog, or the sheep on your farm. "But that would be ridiculous! Nobody would do that!", they say. Well, if that's what someone wants to do, and it makes them happy, then they should be free to do it. You can't have selective laws like that.
There are more issues that should be covered, but that's more time than even I have to sit at the computer and type. Like Ghandhi said, "Be the change you want to see." While Ghandhi had some beliefs that don't line up with God's Word, this statement hits the nail on the proverbial head. If you want to see our nation change (NOT Obama's "change") then we have to pray, and seek God's face, and start acting like we mean it.