Never have I guessed the job title that currently stands parallel to my name would not only be the defining direction of my life, but also would come with such a whirlwind of experiences.
Closing in to just about a week now at my new job, working as an Assistant Nutritionist in a psychiatric hospital, I've accumulated quite enough of several sights and sounds to reflect on the experience that I've been brought to so far and coming forward, in such short time.
Where there are some of which Pros that are quite rewarding, there also lies on the other end of the tale the plummeting action of Cons that brings me to a goosebump induced freeze, sending my heart into shockwaves each time such occurrences take their course.
PROS
- Knowing that you are a contributing factor in assisting those who both needed your support and those who didn't know needed it, but are glad they have your support.
- Learning about different individuals from walks of life that you've never been accustomed to, and watching on idly by as you spot each day, their progress slowly, but surely improving.
- The gratifying sensation overcoming your entire being when you hand over that delicious plate of lunch or dinner to the next person in line and hearing such a gratuitous expression directed your way. (Do not be fooled by television and movies, these individuals have amazing meal plans).
- When patients come in for dinner time and their faces glow up with a huge deal of elation to the sight of what is for dessert, following their grand course meal for the day. Whether it'd be blueberry pie, chocolate raspberry cake or even lemon sponge cake, nothing throws a smile on your face faster than seeing someone in complete bliss.
For just the few days, yet dozens of hours upon each that I have worked end over end on these care units, these are the rewards that comes with the job. However, as stated before, they are not to proceed without some heartache or complication to follow as well.
CONS
- The downpour of emotion on a patient's face when their dietary meal plan does not fit the description of the course given for the lot and they are left with cruddy options.
- Experiencing one's mindset way too deep in the sulking stage of their healing process to even grab a hearty bite to eat. To which instead they will only request a cup of coffee, hot tea or just a small plate of chopped fruit.
- Walking through the hall leading to the pantry kitchen to a sight of few individuals struggling to keep balance with their reason of admittance in the unit and clamoring to either go home or for their family to come, warping their minds.
- Those who appear as if nothing may be critically incorrect, but will be the most hurt individuals that clamor for the headache, heartache, confusion, road to recovery or any other source of self-referred pain to come to an end by wishing for a disheartening deliverance of demise.
It's tough.
I will not sit here and make it seem as if just handing out plates of food to mental health patients and cleaning up after them is a swift walk in the park because there is a story that requires reading, so far beyond the beginning of the first page of the book.
However, with the world that we live in today, with those wrongfully being killed, governments caring less about their people at a new all time high, deranged lunatics on the loose causing mass wide panic and a country at it's strongest timeline of a fall since (believed to be) The Great Depression, it is only fair to acknowledge so much love and compassion is needed.
Care more, hate less.
Love longer, fight lesser.
Bond forever, diminish it: never.
We all have one life to live, the way many of us have chosen to live it in most of our chapters of existence has been greatly poor. Should there be any source where to begin just exactly how to resurrect such an essence for peace and tranquility - it starts with you, and the person next to you, and the person next to them.
We control the hands of time to make this world prosper, to make life grander, and to make our time worth it. Do not stray from your neighbor, help them as you'd want to be if you needed the hand.
Take care of one another.
We're all that we have.
