Tuesday, October 29

What makes a man?

What differentiates a man from a boy? How does a guy earn his right to be known as a man? Anybody can age but growth is actually a choice. I have gotten into a certain age group where I find myself at times in an awkward position not knowing if my identity should be a man or just the guy that I had been for the past decade. Of course, the latter is more natural, comfortable and convenient, but it is time to grow up and move on.

"A man takes initiative, responsibility and is not afraid of commitment," Lydia Tang.

"A man knows how to rise above his emotions," Paulus Lee. 

I agree with the above, and I know there is much more to being a man than just the above.
No intentions of undermining the roles of my female counterparts here, for life on Earth is no doubt difficult; being a man is challenging. Very challenging. To me, he is supposed to be a leader and provider to his household, in times of adversity he needs to rise up and play the role of a protector and comforter. And there is so much more aside from what I have mentioned.

To me, being a man means doing the right thing even when no one is observing.

For a guy who seems to have been challenging authority and boundaries since childhood, being a man is indeed quite a journey with plenty of obstacles ahead.
Walk with me.
 

Tuesday, October 22

First time deployed

To another ward, I was told to report for work this afternoon. The surgical high dependency unit was short on staff today so they required manpower from the other departments. Who knew I was worthy to be deployed to help out at other wards!

Naturally, I was not thrilled when I first found out I was going to be working in an unfamiliar environment, moreover a surgical unit; I did several postings in the orthopaedics discipline and my internship at a surgical ICU, but it has been medical ICU the moment I stepped out of the nursing student uniform. Well, the shift went by and I did okay, with the help of the kind nurses in the ward.

It has been a long time since I filled up a an OT checklist.

And the learning continues.