Baby Boy and his first day of School in a small town.

I am happy and proud to announce that baby boy started Medical School today in the quaint little town of Kirksville, MO. Let me start by saying Kirksville has a very cute antique/flea market of which I cannot wait to visit again.

Mom, Dad, Nonnie, Grandad and I made the voyage to the small community that is nothing more than a college town (I think the population is 5,000 some) this weekend for Lucas’s white coat ceremony. None of us knew what to expect as we had been given very little information about this ceremony but it is apparently a big deal. During this ceremony many speeches are given about how tough Medical School is (did someone think it would be easy?), how you should not be afraid to ask your teachers for whatever kind of help you may need and how elite they will be upon finishing school (yes, yes we all know we are ‘less superior’). Before the students have their coats put on them they state their name and degrees in front of the audience and professors (I will explain why this was fascinating to me). At the end of the ceremony the students take a pledge/oath. It is a historical ceremony that is a rite of passage and tradition.

I was fascinated by the areas of study and degrees held by these people that want to become doctors. One young man has an undergraduate in Piano Performance (I wonder if there is a baby grand that inhabits his student housing or apartment?). Another in Urban and City Planning from Missouri State University (WTF?). There were a couple of History majors. Another man majored in Biology and Automotive/Grease Monkey (as he so eloquently put it). The only thing I can figure about the automotive part is that he put himself through school by working as a mechanic. Either way, the sheer genius of these people baffles me. I, personally, do not and will never know what it is like to be that smart. One of Lucas’s new friends, Arindym(sp), bought a new car not too long ago. The second day of owning this vehicle he completely took a part the entire engine and rebuilt it in the same day. Why? Just to see how it went together…I mean he supercharged it too but unless you are a car mechanic I would not trust myself to drive this car after that. I don’t feel like this is a task where you have the DIY book in front of you. My main question about these kids with the ‘out of ordinary for doctor undergraduate’ would be….did they just study something they found completely interesting or did they want to challenge themselves at doing something they knew was not their calling or did they decide, randomly, at some point too late into their studies that they wanted to become a doctor?

I wanted to walk across that stage and say, “Abbey Lemons, University of Missouri-Columbia, Interior Design with a minor in Fine Art.

Something else that I found super interesting is that an Alumni from the A.T. Still School purchases a white coat for a first year every year. It is the most expensive yard of fabric they will ever own. My brothers white coat was purchased by our own Pediatrician. That brought a tear to my eye (I can’t figure out why I am so emotional…). My brother and I were always fond of our pediatrician.

On a quite different note: I have a new vintage rhinestone necklace purchased by my Nonnie (though I begged her not to because I was going to purchase it anyway) from a flea market in Kirksville. I could spend hours and hours in flea markets. It is the one place that I will dig for treasures. I hate digging in department stores and maybe it is because there are too many people and the music is stressful or maybe it is because I prefer old things and the solitude the flea market provides….I do not know. I am also a huge huge fan of tea sets. The Hidden Treasures store in Kirksville square had many of them. I am in the market for a cream and sugar set. I like mismatched tea sets because everyone can have their own unique cup and saucer. Plus, I could never decide on one pattern I preferred over another. So, if you are ever looking for an inexpensive gift for me….there you have it.

This weekend was quite relaxing. While I enjoy very much living in a bigger city, places like Kirksville help remind me where I came from and why I enjoy smaller towns so much. This weekend is the last time I will get to see my brother for quite some time. Saying so right now kind of brings a tear to my eye (good grief) because I didn’t get to see him that much before. I am hoping he will allow me to come to Kirksville to clean his apartment, help with laundry and do his grocery shopping. I did offer. If that is the only time I can see him I will take the grunt work over not seeing him at all. I am very very proud of him and I hope he has a great first day of medical school….the dream he has held for so long and is working toward achieving. My heroes are people who see their dreams through….something I do not always do well as my mind changes constantly. The one constant dream I can say is that I want a vineyard. I think this might be one of those that remain unrealistic or unattainable. Whatever though, it’s my dream no matter how unrealistic.