Time for another installment of this Wednesday/Sunday night series!
Picking up from last time –
The psychiatrist then asks me to name 3 big cities in Europe.
I say Rome, Paris, and Vatican City. No wait! I think Vatican City is actually its own country. (Also, I wasn’t thinking this at the time, but it’s within Rome!)
As I was correcting myself yet again (eesh!) about Vatican City being a country – instead of taking off a point, or making me name more European cities, he said I got a bonus point for saying something obscure!
Wow. This test almost seems a little too lenient, huh? But I’ll take it.
I know the goal here is just to get approved to give a kidney… But I also want to get an A on this test! (In case you’re wondering, Moscow and London would’ve been better answers of bigger cities.)
(Side note: Bucharest isn’t quite as big as Rome or Paris, but it might’ve been a cool answer for me, because Michael Jackson’s Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour made me want to go into the entertainment industry.)
Anyway, we’re still laughing, having fun, and getting bonus points. He then asked me for those three words. I conjure up that mental image to check my words. A book housing a car. Yep! Book, house, car.
After that, in his sweet and kind demeanor, he asked how far I went in school. Even though I was having a grand time with this man, I was still a bit on edge wondering if there’s a “wrong” answer – if not being educated would go in my chart as a reason to deny me.
But no, he was just asking out of curiosity – and as a way to give me a compliment! When I said I didn’t finish college, he said, “You oughta go back. Your capacity for abstract thought’s outstanding.” (Outstanding! Isn’t that awesome?)
He also said, “I suspect that you’re one of those, that anything you really want to put your mind to, you can do.”
I cherish those words when they leave someone’s mouth. (I think that’s my favorite compliment to receive.)
Yet, sometimes I can love/hate so much when people say that to me.
Every once in a while (when I have days where I feel like I’m constantly failing), I wonder, “How can I hear that beautiful compliment so many times throughout my life – by people who seem to have good judgement – and yet fail so often? Am I not living up to my full potential? Am I letting these awesome people down?”
But those insecurities are for another day, as we’re talking about kidneys now!
After he tells me I’m smart, he follows up with, “that also means you’re smart enough to listen to the surgeons when they give you instructions after surgery.” Ah, hit ’em with the ol’ compliment/instruction, 1 – 2!
But wait. He said when the surgeons give me instructions – not “if,” not “maybe, if we get there.” “When.” Does that mean he thinks I’d made a good kidney donor?! Will he recommend me?
This is where I’ll pick up next time.