Mixed Blessings

Given my day, I couldn't resist this post, so some of the thoughts to which I have alluded are on a burner even further back.

When dealing with patients, I am often caught in the realm of what I consider "mixed blessings". A good example is the 23 year old with a really sore throat (I've been this person, too.) They end up HOPING that they have strep throat, because the other diagnosis is mono. I have a patient right now whose family is actually hoping that a recent test shows she has a terrible diagnosis -- because at least we'd know what she has. Not that we can promise to fix it.

My life tonight was a mixed blessing as well. I have a key ring with many keys, including keys for my home and office. As a good gay boy, I hate having a big key ring in my pocket, so I have often taken off the two keys I need to get into my house off the big ring. I put them in my pocket, and leave the rest behind. I have a lock on my door that closes when I shut it, plus a dead bolt that I rarely use.

When I was leaving work tonight, I realized that I did NOT have my house keys. I did what Mom would have said, and retraced my steps. Unfortunately, my keys were neither at Starbucks, in the hospital, or on the way home. So I went home, wondering how I would get into my building and apartment. I rang my neighbor's buzzer, but he didn't answer. At this point, I realized that I still had my key to the garage entrance, so I made it into my apartment door.

At this point, you have to realize that I was not always an upstanding kid. While I never stole things, I liked to break into things, including my old school. (I wanted to be Remington Steele, because my Mom watched. And, in retrospect, because Pierce Brosnan is HOT!) In college, I had to propose a chemical reaction for lab, and wrote the synthesis of ecstasy (B+, by the way). My prof said I had a "pleasant mischevious side." So, I decided to try to break into my apartment with a credit card. It took me about 3 seconds.

So the mixed blessing is this (if you haven't gotten it already!). I was glad that I could break into my apartment, but obviously, it wasn't particularly comforting to know that my apartment was that accessible. You can bet I'll be using the dead bolt more often. But since I was freaked, my friend took me out to dinner. Given I just had to deal with fear, but got dinner, I think I won tonight.

So you have a great night, too.