The Slippery Slope of Perception
The definition of perception is that which is detected by the five senses; not necessarily understood (imagine looking through fog, trying to understand if you see a small dog or a cat); also that which is detected within consciousness as a thought, intuition, deduction, etc.
The definition of opinion is a thought that a person has formed about a topic or issue.
As a recent transplant to east Texas I have found myself often bewildered and perturbed by these two words. As a nurse who has been recently transplanted to east Texas I have found myself offended and outraged at times by these two words. Not the words themselves mind you but rather in how the people around me twist and corrupt them. That’s right I said twist and corrupt them.
I must confess that, not being a native, I realize that when in Rome you do as the Romans do. I’m doing my level best to adapt but it hasn’t been easy. Let me give you a little more information about the situation so that you can adequately perceive what I’m struggling with.
I’m a nurse. I love being a nurse. In order for you to comprehend the depth of what I feel let me try shed a little light on the subject.
As a nurse I am witness to some of the more horrific sides of life. I see death often. I see pain daily. I see some of the most disgusting aspects of humanity hourly. I’m the person who is elbow deep in feces or other human excrement and never bats an eye. I’m that person that wipes your hinny when you can’t do it for yourself. I’m the person who empties your urine from a bag because your body has momentarily failed you. I’m the person who wipes your brow because you’re drenched in sweat from excruciating pain. I’m that person on the phone with your doctor attempting to get you an increase in your pain medication because I can see that it isn’t adequately relieving you. I’m that person that is forced to walk the fine line between compassion and advocacy when your brother, mother, father, sister, daughter, son doesn’t understand why you’re suffering and inadvertently causes your blood pressure to spike to a dangerous level because they can’t contain their own anxiety level. I’m that person that brushes your tongue and sucks out saliva and mucous from your mouth so that you don’t choke or get a hairy tongue because you can’t swallow anymore. I’m that person that puts an arm around your spouse when I have to tell her that there just isn’t anything else we can do for you. I’m that person who cares about you. You aren’t just a room number or a disease to me. I’m that person that makes sure that no matter what is going on around me you retain your dignity. I see You as my mother, father, sister, brother, daughter, son and I take care of you. I am a nurse.