The Public Enemas?

Yes, that's what I said, the Public Enemas. Before you continue that thought of Johnny Depp and Christian Bale chasing each other across the 1930's gangsterland American landscape, let me point out that I said "public enemas", not "public enemies". This title is the self-chosen moniker for my 30-member nursing school cohort. I'm sure your first question is something like this: "Why would you name your class after an act involving a public rectal flush?" My answer? I. DON'T. KNOW.

The short story is that on the day of our orientation we were separated into groups to come up with suggestions for our class name. One group got especially adventurous with their names and Public Enemas got nominated. Somehow 9 votes were cast for this name, and I actually think that at least half of them didn't know what they were voting for (sorry if you did!) and the other half must have thought it would be a good laugh. Well, we now claim that name. I feel like I need to wash my hands every time I think about it.

In reality, we never call ourselves the Public Enemas except in jest. The name will probably live on as the class joke and provide endless opportunities to reference ourselves as the crew slapping on the latex gloves and grabbing the warm, soapy water...here we go! Enemas for everyone!

The name aside, I'm blessed to have a good group of people around me. Going into nursing school I was a bit apprehensive that I might not enjoy the company of my classmates. This is definitely not the case. While I've gotten to know some of the group better, I feel that I can look to anyone in our cohort for help in understanding a lesson, reviewing an assessment, or providing insight into a care plan. There's also a camaraderie that's forming; a unified march toward a common goal. I can see our group meshing more and more as we become more comfortable with each other and our various personalities, preferences, and backgrounds. And while I probably drive the group a little crazy with my constant joking commentary (I think I got Karl to the point of either wanting to gag me or gag himself to keep from laughing during lab today) I appreciate the fact that I feel as fully engaged with this group as I could have hoped. I appreciate studying with 3-8 classmates most days after class on the 4th floor library that towers 12 stories over campus. The 4th floor is our place of choice, as it offers a spacious area with group study tables and big screen monitors that we can plug our laptops into and do group test reviews online. I also appreciate the fact that we're a diverse group of post-graduate students who appreciate the value and gravity of education more now than we did the first time around.

So to my fellow Public Enemas, goodnight. And maybe, if the opportunity comes up, we could give ourselves another name. The Foley Catheters is available I hear.

Caesar or Christ?

I am gravely concerned. Very, sincerely, gravely concerned. Why? Perhaps it's the fact that I'm closing in on my 30th birthday (nope), or maybe because I'm 3 weeks away from head-to-toe assessment evaluations (nope) or maybe it's the fact that with four kids under my care I'm seeing the world in a different light (nope). OR...maybe it's the fact that our country is literally pushing itself towards a cliff as we race to the end of the American dream of life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of property. YES!! (you know that property, not happiness, is the actual text?)

I remember that my Grandma used to say how the world was changing for the worse and people were getting so relativistic in their morality, seeking only what made them happy. My mom continued that trend, lamenting the little chinks in the armor of our country's moral fiber that made us so great in such a relatively short span of history. At the time I would chalk part of their sentiment to the unease that any change naturally brings to many people; now, I can say with much certainty that not only were their concerns founded, they were tied right in with our country's slow march toward big-government socialism where our elected officials decide what's best for us and expect us to sit down and take it, because we're too self-absorbed to care about anything that doesn't take away our ability to watch our 60" LED TV before having sterile sex in our 3500 square foot house that's home to me, my girlfriend, and our two dogs. Oh yeah and my custom Mustang.

OK, so you probably can guess that I want to talk about the recent decision by Barack "I think I'm the sun-god Caesar" Obama to force all institutions, including those that are Catholic, to offer abortion-inducing drugs, sterilizations, and contraceptives through their insurance plans...free of charge. For an excellent primer on why the Catholic Church is right on this issue, follow the link here. Now, for those of you who are not familiar with the current events, I turn to Stephen White at CatholicVote.org:

Here’s how the HHS mandate and the new “accommodation” work.

Then: All employers that don’t meet the narrow “religious exemption,” including Catholic hospitals and universities, are required by law to provide insurance coverage that includes contraception and sterilization procedures with no out of pocket costs to the insured.

Now: All employers that don’t meet the narrow “religious exemption,” including Catholic hospitals and universities, are required by law to provide insurance coverage. All such coverage must include contraception and sterilization procedures with no out of pocket costs to the insured.

You see the difference? No? Don’t worry, the smart people in government (the ones sworn to protect your rights) say it’s all good…

Remember, by "then" and "now", we're talking about a roughly 2-week span from making this policy official, violating the religious liberty of every American citizen by defining what we must believe (yes, even individuals who are not Catholic should be alarmed because, don't worry, you're next!), then re-crafting the accounting in the plan to try and make us feel better for not having to tell our employees that the insurance we provide covers procedures we find morally objectionable.

Obama wrote back to those of us that signed a petition requesting that he rescind this mandate and said that "99% of all women have relied on contraception at some point in their lives...99%". HOLD THE PHONE! Really, Barocky? Didn't your mama, teacher, law professor etc teach you that it's generally a bad idea to assert that 99% of people do ANYTHING other than the biological functions necessary to stay alive? Who do you think will believe this, and where do you get your statistics? I consider myself a very reasonable person that can see through political schmuckery like this, so I'm gonna give you a pass on this one. You freaked out a little bit, are trying to respond to nearly 30,000 people that signed the one petition asking that you rescind this mandate, so you're making this out to be a bigger deal than it is. So you're a bad leader under stress. We knew that. Let's try this one: "free preventative care with no co-pays, including contraceptive services, no matter where they work." OK, here's where I need audience participation...when you hear the words medically necessary what comes to mind? Cancer treatments, emergency appendectomies, setting a broken bone, a C-section when labor goes badly, etc etc etc. How many people out there think that contraceptives, sterilizations, and abortion-inducing drugs are medically necessary? Raise your hands there folks? Anybody? OK then. Are they necessary for use if you want to stick your private parts wherever, in whoever, whenever without the "consequence" of children? Sure. It's also medically necessary that when I jump out of a plane I secure my parachute or I will die. But are you going to pay for that? No. See, the issue here is that people don't want to use self-control. This whole idea of "preventative services" is the whitewashed version of "free sex for all!" This is really an unsurprising move down that steep slope my mom and grandma talked about where morality and personal responsibility are left in the dust. Like a good friend tells me all the time, "People are OK with saying that it's wrong for me to steal, it's wrong for me to kill, it's wrong for me to judge, this is wrong and that's wrong...once we get below the belt don't you dare tell me what I'm doing is wrong!" So the government protects this sexual liberty by saying that "preventative services" must be free. Free to prevent us from the consequences that true respect for sexuality would bring us: attachment, real love, children, fidelity, stable homes, stable cities, states, countries. Free to objectify women to nothing more than a thing for pleasure. Free to prevent couples from having kids so when they want to divorce there's no "baggage". OK so you see where I'm going with this?

Essentially, I'm really irritated by the attitude of so many people today that believe sex should mostly be divorced from anything but physical pleasure. "Wherever, however, whoever, without consequence". I know that people are going to do what they decide to do and I can't stop them. But, I shouldn't have to pay for their sexual exploits. The government doesn't have a stake in making sure that people get off however they want...as a matter of fact if I was a president I would try to support people that want to have kids. More citizens right? I didn't think we were communist China. Hmmm. That's another post.

So, I'm running out of steam here and my soapbox is starting to lean a little. I love Christ and His teachings more than the government, so believe me when I say that I will not follow this mandate to provide contraceptives to anyone and everyone. Won't do it. Christ, not Caesar.

The Power of Music

I am a huge fan of music. I enjoy it immensely. I have had an appreciation for music since I was a little kid, growing up in a house where there was music playing regularly and dance parties to the oldies station or Dad's LP's were a regular occurrence. We would move the furniture out of the center of the living room and groove our little feet to the likes of George Benson, Linda Rondstadt, The Doors, Michael Jackson, etc etc etc. Classical music was also a big hit at our house, we'd listen to various albums (on audiotape, no less) while on road trips all over the country. I grew up with an appreciation for various types of music, and my range of music taste only expanded through high school and college as I began to add contemporary groups like Collective Soul, Matchbox Twenty, 3 Doors Down, Goo Goo Dolls, Creed, and U2 to my favorites. I would listen to music whenever I had a chance. Like my cousin-in-law (is that actually a term) John once said, "Music is Chris' anti-drug".

At the end of my freshman year in college a friend gave me a copy of the Gladiator soundtrack to borrow. I promptly copied it and played it over and over all through finals. At that point in time, listening to the powerful movement of the wordless music, I began to really realize the power that music has over the human heart and mind. In a very real way, music can help us stay in or move out of emotional states. If we're upset many of us will either listen to angry music to stay upset, or listen to uplifting music to help lift us back up. If we're feeling happy we're probably going to listen to something that will keep us happy. I like to listen to high-energy, hard-driving music while I'm running, as it keeps my adrenaline flowing and prevents me from hearing my own loud breathing. I'm sure many of you have similar habits.

I had a fascinating revelation while sitting in my Human Physiology class last fall. My professor was talking about the auditory nerves and the fact that science can explain how we can hear, but it cannot explain the "musical experience". This really gave me pause. We have established scientific explanations for our ability to receive, process, and interpret the meaning of soundwaves as they hit our eardrum, travel through the olfactory nerve, and are recognized as sound by the corresponding area of our brain. What we can't explain is how our brain manages to translate sound into emotions of all kinds. I know that when I hear a particularly moving song I am unable to resist the sensory flood that it produces; I am unashamed to say that I cry at hearing Ave Maria, get chills when listening to the Hallelujah Chorus, and am hypnotized by the sound of Ravel's Bolero. There is no scientific explanation for music's affect on the brain, its ability to stimulate an emotional/hormonal response in our bodies, or the total experience that music manifests. With nothing else to explain it, I thank God for the gift of music and the link it gives us to the divine.

Being a Daddy

Daddy...Daddy...Daddy...DAAADDDDYYYY!!!! Have you ever heard that sound before? I hear it all the time. Rather, my eardrums pick up the sound of one of my little's voices but my brain doesn't always register it...at all. Yes, I am one of the 99%. One of the 99% of dads suffering from post-audible assault syndrome. It's a result of my kids rather whiny voices shooting at me with impatience as I'm on the phone, in the bathroom, studying, helping one of their siblings, etc...but the general result is that my brain is self-conditioned to hear them less. And I do feel bad about that. I love my kiddos, I love them more than anything else God has given me save my wife. But being a daddy isn't easy and it isn't always fun.

When we first got married and were getting ready to start a family I had this idea that child-rearing was basically a matter of example. Baby see, baby do. I'll just be a good daddy and do the right things and the kids will soak it all up and they will do good things too! BWAHAHAHAHAHAhahahaha...*sob*...ha!!!! I know right, how naive!

All joking aside, the truth is that parenting is difficult. It's a constant task that requires real love and dedication. Kids are definitely little sponges and they happen to have a mind of their own. The combination of their own little wills, my manifest parental imperfections and inexperience, and you end up with kids that still need direction, discipline, constant reminders, etc...all day long. This cuts to the core of the issue: having kids is all about being a parent, not just having kids. It's about doing the difficult things that shape our little ones into responsible individuals, good Christian citizens, caring souls.

Ultimately, the trials of parenting are outweighed by the joys. I get so much happiness from my little ones, watching them grow and develop in some ways that remind me so much of Monica and me and in other ways their individuality blossoms. My littles are so excited to play with me, it really is humbling how much they look up to me and seek my time and attention. Whether it's having "Daddy wrestle time", dance parties, reading time or sing-alongs in the car, they treasure the time I give to them as much as I treasure their presence. So, I need to begin the reversal process on my daddy hearing problem and tune in a little better to the message beneath their yelling. It's not just "Daddy, I need!", but "Daddy, I need you." They're a blessing no matter how I look at it, a source of joy and fun and love. I pray that I will continue to be the daddy they deserve and thank God for the four little gifts He has entrusted to me.

The Value of a Friend

Do you ever have that moment when a friend calls you out of the blue to say "I was thinking about you today...I hope things are going well in your life" right when you expect it the least but you need it the most? It's a really good feeling, and I've had a couple friends call me recently right when I needed to take five and talk with a buddy.

While I appreciate the times that friends call from far and wide to offer encouragement and give reprieve from my studying, I often overlook the fact that my closest friend and confidant lives right under the same roof. Yes, it's true...my wife Monica is my very best friend. Almost seven years of marriage, four kids/two houses/career changes and being back in school she's still the one I love the mostest. But amidst the daily grind of classes at Kent, drive time to and from campus, studying at home, Monica teaching T in kindergarten, wrangling the other littles, getting breakfast, lunch, dinner, baths, diapers, bedtime...I (often) forget that she would like to hear about how my day went, whether anything exciting went on, and whether I'm actually interested in the things that SHE experienced that day.

Monica sat down at my side yesterday while I was engrossed in some nursing terminology on my laptop; she just sat there for a few minutes until, evidently exasperated with my continued zombie-like focus on a digital screen she sweetly closed the computer, looked at me with her beautiful blue-green eyes, and mentioned that I was the one who spends 8-10 hours of my day in an environment not dominated by little people under the age of six, and I actually get to have regular grown-up conversation. Yeah, I forget that sometimes. The fact is, I do get to talk with interesting people and learn some pretty interesting stuff every day, while my lovely wife dedicates her entire day to caring for our kids. I know other husbands and wives out there experience this same situation or one very similar on a regular basis. I'm going to try hard to break the trend and spend a little additional time dedicated to my very best friend. Shoot, I think I'm gonna log out of this thing and go talk with her now...until later my friends!

A Good Find

There are certain times in life when you know you've found something special. They could be huge (like meeting and marrying my lovely wife or being blessed with each of our four kids), or they could be small and relatively insignificant...the common theme is that they contribute value to your life in some way. Today's find was...a restaurant.

I visited, for the first time, a place in Kent well-known to locals, called Mike's Place. You can't miss it on the way into Kent, because sitting outside the place is a full-sized X-Wing fighter, just like you'd expect to see flying out of the movies. The fantastic doesn't stop when you walk in the door; there are various themed rooms to eat in, many of which are not rooms at all...there is a full-sized 50's era bus with tables and large booths in it, a boat to eat in, a tequila bar, and memorabilia of all sorts plastered throughout. I had been curious to try this place out because any restaurant with an X-Wing starfighter MUST be awesome.

Thinking that taking a field trip with some of my nursing cohort friends would be a good way to foster camaraderie I suggested we breakfast there. Of the 8 of us that went, probably half had been there before. Being part of the unseasoned 50% I was excited to experience the amazing atmosphere, aptly described by my brother-in-law who said "it's a freak show, I like it". The most freakish? The prices! And no, they were not fiendishly high, but freakishly low. My meal of choice was the "Bestest Breakfast", replete with 2 sausage links, two eggs, two strips of bacon (but I got the equivalent of 4-5 crispy strips), well-seasoned hash browns, and your choice of toast, french toast, or pancakes. And yes, I did choose the pancakes. This mountainous breakfast was sold for a plainish price of...wait for it...$2.99! Too good to be true? Well, they market it as a way to "beat the economy blues" and I'd say that's a very apt way to put it. This could be worth a weekly trip...

Some changes have occurred

Yes, friends, some changes have occurred since my last post. Many of you are up to date on the happenings of the last year of our little family's life; for the rest of you, I'll give a brief synopsis and piece together more detail in future posts. (Feel free to go back to my previous posts to read about how I decided to pursue nursing as a new career.)

First off, I have been in school for the past year. Until this January I was taking classes in preparation for my application to nursing school. I was accepted to Kent State's accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program and started classes earlier this month. I'm loving all that I'm learning and have realized over the past year that my previous phobia of the sciences was greatly unfounded. I love human physiology and am excited to apply the information I've learned already to nursing school and practice.

Those of you that remember my blog will probably notice that some changes have been made to the structure and title. The previous moniker of "The Man Cave" was cool in its time, but seeing that I no longer own a home and as a result no longer have a man cave (which was very cool, by the way), I figured it was time to reinvent my blog. After all, I've been reinventing myself for the past year. Thus, my new title. With changing geography, professional status, and family size (we did welcome our 4th child into the world since my last post) has come a lot of introspection. I have learned an awful lot about myself, the meaning of family and friends, and society itself in the past year. I will undoubtedly continue to gain more glimpses of life as I continue down this path, most likely following a "the more I see the less I know" pattern so aptly described by the fantastic U2. My humble hope is to share some of my experiences of marriage, fatherhood, and nursing school in a humorous and enjoyable way, with an occasional morsel of valuable insight, should I ever run into one. For now, it's back to the books. My reinvented life calls!