Shadows Prove the Sunshine

Yes, I have succumbed to the cromo effect (otherwise known as "jumping on the bandwagon" or the less flattering "herd instinct") and have decided to blog again.

I'm currently sitting in the hospital library, feeling quite content after a solid day of research. No, I haven't crossed over to the dark side (i.e. become a med student). I'm not sure that mere education students are allowed to study in here. The librarian hasn't yet pointed at me and yelled "Impostor!", so I figure I'm safe. This is certainly more civilised than the education campus, which is on the brink of being overrun by turkeys, wallabies and feminists. I've previously written a post about the education campus computer labs, which can be found here.

I'm currently writing a research paper on environmental education for early childhood students for one of my final subjects. I have been madly reviewing online journals for the last few hours. The last article that my search located was titled "The Conservation Knowledge and Attitudes of Teenagers in Slovenia Toward the Eurasian Otter". As interesting as it would be to read about human-otter interactions in Slovenia, I opted for a study break.

From my desk, I have a nice view of the front of the hospital. It has been really interesting to watch all sorts of people come and go throughout the day. Hospitals certainly attract people from all walks of life. There are people who are quite clearly patients wondering around in the pursuit of fresh air. People without shoes (no, I wasn't one of these people today), searching the ground for dropped coins and hurriedly storing them in their pockets, should they be fortunate enough to find one. Anxious children, and even more anxious parents. Stressed students, desperate to pass their practicums. Loneliness, tears and fear. They seem to be ever-present here. This doesn't negate the absence of joy, but it is true that pain is particularly apparent in a hospital. As I watched some of these people come and go, I prayed that I would never lose my compassion for those who are hurting. We are all given trials in life, and it is very easy to become desensitised to the needs of others. May we never become unable to look beyond our own circumstances.

As I'm writing this, I hear a scream from outside. I look down from my elevated position in the library to see two women hugging below my window. They appear to be very close friends, perhaps they haven't seen each other for awhile. The joy on their faces is palpable, as they begin to talk and share in each other's lives. I'm very glad to be reminded that joy can exist in the darkest of places. I'm sure that every worker here could attest to that.