The Circle of Life
Monday I didn't have any classes due to MLK day. There was a blood rive on campus, so I decided to donate.I think it is important to give back, and donating a pint of my blood that I don't need and giving it to save up to 3 lives makes me happy.
I have a difficult relationship with donating blood. It isn't always easy for them to find a vein; this was no exception. I usually have to drink about a million cups of water for them to find a vein. Finally, the 6th person poking my elbow with their finger found a vein, tapped it and I was able to give a pint of my oh so precious A+ blood. The guy who found the vein was pretty funny. He came over and said, "well, you appear to be alive, so I am sure you have a vein somewhere" After he got the needle in, he told me I was all good to bleed out and he made several references to the blood drive workers being vampires too. I had a reaction after donating, which hasn't happened in awhile. I was sitting eating my cookie when I got hot and lightheaded. "um, Lindsey, I need to go lay down." No you don't just eat your cookie." "um, no, I need to lay down." So I got carted off to the special table, lay down got an ice pack and was fine in about 3 minutes.
I came back to my room and kind of fell asleep for about 2 hours which meant I had a lot of homework to do late at night- the story of a college kid I guess. In education we have been talking and learning about development in one class and talking about society in another. We read the Giver for EDC 346 this weekend; I hadn't read it in a few years. It really got me thinking a lot about society, and I am not quite sure what I really got from my musings. I know that I don't want the world to become like the place in The Giver. After I read The Giver, I did something most teachers don't expect; I went beyond the lesson. I read the entire series. On top of that, I had some business with the EDC department to get resolved. I needed to finish my placement hours from last semester. Somewhere along the way, not everyone understood everything or whatever, but I got a grade for my placement and I shouldn't have. Long story short, I had to sign a kind of contract with the education department saying that i will complete 27 hours before midterms or fail the class I took last semester, This was presented to me before class, and I couldn't stop thinking about it all hour.We had some interesting discussion in class and I left class feeling slightly unsettled and not sure about what I really felt. I then had to go sign my contract. So, the education department pretty much owns me now. It was not my ideal day. Going to painting didn't really help.
For anyone who knows Bob, you know that being in the same room as him for 3 hours will be interesting, no matter what. He tends to make some odd comments or try to be funny. You just never know what you are going to get with Bob. Bob asked us if we had seen the email form Dr. Abernathy.The first email said that Dr. Sheffert had been killed in a car accident. I found out later that she was found on the ice in Deerfield park by her husband and pronounced dead at the hospital. We talked about her in painting. I had her freshman year in psychology where she freaked out over a bug on the document camera. Other people had had her and Annalise was in her class this semester.
Her death was so unexpected. She had 2 kids. What will it be like for them?
Sitting here in my room, I got thinking about was seems to be the theme of the week for me: the circle of life. I gave a pint of blood in an effort to save lives, and the next day, a former professor is dead. In my classes we talk about growth and development from birth to childhood and I am so amazed at it. Gos knew what he was doing.
Alone with my thoughts and music, Relient K comes on. It's a Christmas song: I Celebrate the Day. It kind of sums up a lot of my thoughts. One line is my favorite.
And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life
So life goes on. I will get over my tiredness from donating blood, knowing that I have made a difference. Dr. Sheffert's family and the campus mourns the loss, services will be planned. I still have to read and outline more sections about development and growth in children. Life will go on.
I think back to my own childhood and I think about Lion King, and another songs stands out:
It's the Circle of Life And it moves us all Through despair and hope Through faith and love Till we find our place On the path unwinding In the Circle The Circle of Life
