Hurry Up and Wait, Part One

I spent Thursday and Friday away from my classroom. Originally the plan was for me to attend a social studies curriculum committee meeting on both days. Then Dear Father called and informed me his doctor had scheduled a hip replacement surgery on Friday, the 27th. Well, there was absolutely no way on earth anyone was going to put my Dear Father asleep without me being there first.

So the last three days have been very exhusting and can be described only as hurry up and wait type of days. You know, those types of days when you have somewhere you need to be and must be there by a certain time. Once you arrive breathless and tense because you hurried so you discover that the day will consist of waiting, waiting, and more waiting.

One of the hardest things to do is to wait. I’m not a very patient person. I like to be in control. Surgery is one of those areas I can’t be in contol of so I waited, waited, and waited some more in the waiting room of the small town hospital where every member of both sides of my family have been at some time or another for the last 50 years or so. I got there soon after Dear Father and Lovely Step-Mother had arrived. Sweet Step-sister and Energetic Step-Sister-In-Law were already buzzing around preparing Dear Father for surgery. How fortunate we all are that they both are nurses in the surgical department. It seemed to helped Dear Father’s feelings.

Zipping ahead in the story Father Dear came through ok though Young, Smart Doctor informed us that Dear Father has the largest bones he had ever seen and, he had to use the largest hip joint he had. I joked with my sister (that's how we handle worry) that they weren't lying to me when Mom and Dad used to say to me, "You're not overweight; you're just big boned." I must have gotten my big bones from Father Dear. Well, it sounds good anyway.......

Lovely Step-Mom, Dear Sister, and I along with Sweet Step-Sister's husband and Dear Father's pastor and his wife made small talk in the waiting room. Folks came in and spoke to various members of our group. I would lean over as the person would walk away and say, "Now who was that?" At one point one of the fellow waiting room waitees was identified as having the same last name as Dear Father. He was there for his wife. Another couple was identified as having the same last name as Dear Departed Mother's maiden name. They were waiting on their daughter. We are all cousins in some form or fashion I'm sure.

That's what I like about a small town. Life there is very safe and secure even though the area is growing by leaps and bounds. You never know how or when you will end up with family, but you'll be with family no matter what.

Dear Father slept on and off all day after he finally reached his room that burst at the seams with his children, step-children, friends, and step-grandkids. At one point the nurses were trying to figure out who all the people were milling about in their hallway. I had the job of informing them that there were husbands, wives, and kids who hadn’t shown up yet. “Oh my gosh,” she said in a surprised, wide-eyed way, “There’s more?” We quickly assured her we would come in shifts after the first day.

Day two was also another hurry up and wait day. Hurry up and drive the hour and a half to the small town where both my mom and dad grew up. Then wait, wait, wait sitting by Father Dear’s side in case I’m needed. My main job was to be there so Lovely Step-Mom could go eat lunch if she wanted to. Father Dear was more alert, but I feel his recovery will be a bit slow.

Stay tuned for part two where I detail the hurry up and wait mentality behind the social studies committee meeting I attended on Thursday. Here's a hint of the fiasco.........teaching thematically versus chronologically. Yikes! It can only be compared to what herding cats must be like.

Stay tuned.