All Walks of Life

One of my favorite aspects about being a frequent visitor to hospitals and cancer centers, is that I get to meet many different types of people.  I have the opportunity to form bonds with fellow patients from all over the world.  I get the pleasure of diving into their culture, and learning first hand about their traditions.  I love immersing myself in the lives of those around me.  I've been extremely fortunate when it comes to my curiosity.  Most of my fellow cancer patients welcome me into their style of life with open arms.

I'll be the first to admit that I can get a bit carried away when I submerge myself in the lifestyles of those around me.  I instantly throw myself into the culture of my friends.  I enjoy watching the interactions between families, and multiple groups of friends.  I soak up as much as I can, and before I know it I transform into an alternate version of myself.  I hold tight to the integrity of my individual character, but I will permeate my personality with a bit of cultural pizzazz.  I want to be perfectly clear that I am in no way mocking, or poking fun at different ethnicities.  I am fascinated by all walks of life.  I simply pick up phrases, and mannerisms of those I spend time with daily.

Since moving to the Mid-South, I have perforated my northern accent with a slight southern accent.  It usually only comes out at the hospital when I'm chatting it up with the nursing staff.  They all have such thick southern drawls.  Words like ya'll, and fixins' sneak out of my mouth from time-to-time.  I embrace it, and considerate myself bilingual...Ha!  Yupper mixed with Hick, a touch of a British accent, and dusted with a Southern Drawl.  Yup, that's me!

There is group of Jewish ladies I instantly migrate to everyday.  They play bridge every afternoon after their mid-day meal.  They don't spend much time actually playing the game.  Most of the time they are swapping stories, and gossiping about other patients.  I flock to these ladies like "moths to a flame".  They are intriguing to watch, and a blast to hang out with.  I have picked up some of their idiosyncrasies.  They come out in full force when I'm around these ladies.  I transform into a combination of Barbra Streisand, and Mike Myers Coffee Talk character from Saturday Night Live.  I through around my fair share of words like: schvitzing, verklempt, and Mazel Tov.  I simply love these ladies.  I honestly don't think they can get through the day without saying Oy Vey at least 40 times, throwing salt over their shoulders at least 20 times, and spitting on someone for good luck at least 10 times.  I will gladly join in on the Oy Vey tally, but I'm a far cry from carrying around salt in my purse, or hawking a loogie in someone's face for luck.

Another clan I enjoy spending time with is a family of 100% Italians.  They are a such an adorable bunch.  The grandfather of the crew has been stricken with an aggressive form of cancer.  The tight-knit family doesn't let a day pass without visiting grandpa.  Each day the group gathers for family dinner.  An endless stream of family members fill the cafeteria toting pans of food, pitchers of beverages, and a new flower arrangement for the table.  The family has so much love and respect for each other.  I have been invited to join them on quite a few occasions.  They welcome me as if I was a part of the family.  The eccentricities I have observed while watching the family interact, consume my nature.  I immediately jump into the nurturing, selfless role I see the other wives and mothers play.  Before I know it, I"m serving up food, and making sure everyone has gotten enough to eat.  I find myself asking everyone if they got the bread, drinks, and dessert they wanted.  I am constantly asking if everyone's food is hot enough.  Before they can even answer, I grab their plate, and tell them I'll nuke it for another minute to make sure it's nice and hot.  I run around with a chicken with my head cut off along side the other ladies.  It is most important they the family has a successful dinner.  After the group has eaten, the wives/mothers and I finally sit down to eat.  We pick at the food as we exchange in witty banter.  After being so polite during dinner, those ladies remove their censors, and curse like sailors.

The group that is most entertaining is a pack of Vietnam Veterans.  They are dirty old men that spend their days hitting on nurses, and fellow patients.  They swap vulgar jokes, and the same war stories day-after-day.  From afar they appear to be a battalion of impenetrable grumps, but that is the furthest thing from the truth.  Although, they love gossiping like a gaggle of 16 year old girls, they also possess a lot of heart.  They will come to the rescue of anyone in need.  Their troop isn't as impenetrable as it looks.  They gladly welcome newcomers.  As of right now, I am the only lady member of the pack, but I have a tough skin.  I'll throw dirt right back at guys.  I can hang with the most bubbly and cheerful of ladies, but I can also kick it with the grumpiest of men.  One thing I can promise is that both visits will end in a giant bear hug!

Each day at the hospital is like a visit to the United Nations.  I get the pleasure of interacting with plethora of men and women from all walks of life.  I truly enjoy learning about different cultures and ethnicities.  I appreciate all of the people who share their lives with me on a daily basis.  I am a better person because of the knowledge I learned from them.