I didn’t really have a sob story. My life is actually good here. My family is not in dire need. I don’t have younger siblings to send to school. I have been going to the U.S. since I was a kid so it isn’t my Golden ticket.
Yet I took up Nursing.
My friend M from U.P. asked incredulously, “why do you want to go back to school, and nursing at that?” She said she can picture me kicking a*s in the boardroom than helping save lives in the operating room. Fair enough. Even my parents were surprised when I told them about my decision years ago. My papa kept asking, “Are you sure?” I think he was worried I was just going through one of those phases.
I’ve never thought of myself in the Medical field. When I got into U.P., it was for a pre-med course. I remember my eyes glazing over Math 17 while my classmates who are now doctors are quite contented solving over some problems that would whisk them off to med school. I remember asking myself what I was doing there. My mama always told me I was her ace (don’t tell my sisters that) so I thought U.P. was the way to go and I was off to be a doctor. I didn’t know what I wanted. All I knew was I like writing, I like speaking and so in my third year, I shifted to a totally unrelated course yet a course that I felt I was really good at. I loved my Orcom course, I will do the same all over again. I’ve met the smartest and most creative people I know that pushed me to be better. I think my creativity was honed in this period of my life. I am proud to hold an Orcom degree. It didn’t prepare me just to kick a*s in the boardroom…but prepared me for life.
I had a few good offers after graduation, I even worked for a while with one of the country’s top I.T. companies and advertising agencies but still…something’s missing. After a long hiatus in the United States and some soul-searching, I just came home and went up to my parents and humbly asked them to bear with me for a wee longer. I wanted to go back to college.
Taking up Nursing for me is like falling in love with the person everyone least expects you to fall in love with. A few months into my second course, it felt so natural, I felt really good at it, and I loved it. I understood the holistic essence of it. Of course, I found out about its tough side but I realized you have to love it to understand its meaning, its purpose. But I was embarrassed to tell people about it. Suffice to say, I kept “her” a secret. But I knew deep in my heart, I am home. I realized, why do I need reasons to be here? I just want to. That’s reason enough. Now, passing the boards is like marrying “her.” There’s no turning back.
I fell in love and it was as simple as that. For all the bad press nursing is getting for all those who say their parents forced them to, for all those who say this is their golden ticket and for all those who snort and say it’s just the rage: That is what I’m going to tell you.
I fell in love, as simple as that.
And with that, I promise to love “her” with all my heart.
***narsISA emoting in uniform after a nursing pictorial***
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