Author: admin

We’ll keep the big question of if I’ll even live to 90 out of this.

Camaraderie will be what I most remember about the COVID-19 pandemic. That seems odd since most people felt isolated and alone, but that wasn’t my experience. When the virus was recognized, my college was moved online for about 4 months and I had limited hours at one of my jobs. Otherwise, my daily activities didn’t change much except for the extra hand washing and mask wearing. Those few months off of school likely caused the biggest impact on my pandemic perspective because it gave me the flexibility to go on more operations with Team Rubicon (TR), a disaster response organization. Being online, I was able to up and leave when hurricanes and tornadoes hit and (base internet permitting) still attend my classes. There’s always plenty of camaraderie on TR ops, or really anywhere you put a bunch of military and first responders together, but it was almost like the forced separation just made everyone want to engage even more. I can distinctly remember walking onto this big 4H property in Louisiana and looking around to see every person on the op spread out in camp chairs, on bleachers, sitting atop the opposite rails of a hog pen, wherever they could get space to social distance and still interact with one another. In a time where everyone felt so lonely and separated from each other, it was pretty wonderful to see.

We also had to drive with N95 masks on and the windows down no matter how fast or how far we were going. I’ll probably always remember that. We sure did get some funny looks from passersby.

While trying to decide what kind of thinker I am, I did what members of my generation do best; I consulted Google. According to psychologytoday.com, I am a divergent thinker, a person who doesn’t choose between limited possibilities, but “look[s] for options that aren’t necessarily apparent at first” (Bernhard, 2013). I have too many jobs, too many hobbies, and too many organizations demanding my time, but I’m always looking for new ways to engage. I love what I do and have taken many opportunities that could’ve passed me by if I hadn’t been looking for them. Contributing to my divergent thinking style and eventual decision to attend college were a few people that I encountered during my earlier life.

One such person is June, my older sibling. I don’t find myself to be competitive by nature, but sibling rivalry is a different matter entirely. During my time in high school, my older sibling completed two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s. While interviewing my classmate Mary, I discovered that members of her immediate family also encouraged her to attend college, just in a less adversarial way. June is now a lawyer. How do you rival a doctorate in jurisprudence? With a doctorate in medicine of course.

I latched on to the idea of medicine during my last couple years of high school, while doing something commonly known as “couch surfing”. Two of my gracious hosts encouraged me to consider a trade school at a local community college. At the time, I didn’t feel focused or driven enough to succeed in a 4 year college environment, nor did I have the money. I completed a year of classes and joined the workforce. It was a stressful job, but I loved the tactile learning environment and the on-the-job training which kept me interested and motivated.

Wanting to continue with my education, I lived at work and saved for college. I’ve considered staying at my current job but looking at my middle-aged coworkers with back injuries and serious mental health issues, I decided to continue my studies. My job in Texas has amazing continuing education and in person hands-on trainings are my favorite way to learn. There is also an unimaginable amount of scientific nonfiction within reach thanks to my old friend Google. As I spoke to Mary about this, we discussed her contrasting interest in mostly romantic fiction books and how our preferred book styles related to our individual ways of thinking.

A convergent brain would say go to college straight after high school, or not at all. It’s been 5 years since I was in high school, but I’m now pursuing a bachelor’s degree and the prerequisites for medical school. For that, I’d like to thank the siblings and mentors who gave me the encouragement that I needed along the way.

Citations:

Bernhard, T (2013). What Type of Thinker Are You. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/turning-straw-gold/201302/what-type-thinker-are-you