Nativity

As I sat there in the sanctuary this evening, I can’t help but be in awe by how far we have come since that humbled birth so many years ago.  Tonight, and for the next twelve days, a significant population of the world will be celebrating Christmas.   Many more have been celebrating already in the weeks prior.  Yet, what we have come to adore, that which we have come to accept as the norm- the many social gatherings, the elaborate festivities, and the exchange of holiday spirit; that all originated from a simple birth.  A birth that was shrouded in uncertainty, and hardship.  A birth that began with a pregnancy which was at that time potentially scandalous, immaculate or not.  A birth that began with a woman’s acceptance of G-d’s burden, and a man willing to honor his word and defend the honor of his fiancé.  A birth that took place in a manger because the world was cruel, and two wearied travelers, despite being in dire straits, was denied charity and regulated to the status of livestock.  Even in the celebration of his miraculous birth, we see the threats of death that are already presented to his person, in the form of the gifts presented by the wise men, and in their avoidance of a jealous king’s ambition to slaughter a potential heir. 

The nativity bespoke of a troubled time, and we seem to forget that.  The holiday season has become a joyous occasion, as it should be.  However we must not forget that it is a product of hardship.  We must not forget that it was to the mean and lowly shepherds sleeping in the fields with their wards that the news of a birth of a king was announced.  We must not forget the meager settings in which said king was born. 

Hope, hope that warms the heart, hope that fans the flames of faith, did not in fact come in glory, but in darkness, and in suffering.  As we sit together this Christmas season, may we remember to embrace that element of our faith.  Tradition dictates that we celebrate, that we put on a happy face, and share the joy with friends and loved ones.  Yet, as we sit together ready to laugh, may it be acceptable as well to share a tear or two for the harshness endured.  Christ did not come to this world as meekly as he did so that we can rave, but he did so that we may look upon our subjectively ineffectual lives and realize that we have the potential to make it better.  As we lament and bewail the dark times that have befall us, may we have the opportunity to realize that we are given the ingredients to a remarkable success story.  While we may feel downtrodden, while we may feel left out, defective at this moment, there is no telling high we may soar someday.  No one wants to hear a success story where everything went right; it is hard to relate to that kind of “perfection”.  Instead, we want to hear a story of hardship overcame and obstacles conquered because there is hope for us to do likewise.  At the core of the nativity narrative is not so much that Christ is born, but Christ came to this world significantly disadvantaged and still made it big. 

And so it is during this holiday season that I implore you to reflect on your lives, to confront the darker elements, and be not ashamed of that which you were unable to accomplish.  I pray you can embrace the rawness of your own narrative, the vulnerability of your humanity as Christ was with his own.  We all have humble beginnings, and as bad as it may seem to you and yours at this moment, I hear all the hallmarks of a success story in the making.  Celebrate, for it is meet and right so to do; more importantly, hope. For what good is a candle in a lit room?  No, Christ came as a beacon in dark times.  If you have the light of faith, share it and rejoice.  If your flame is flickering in the cold, no worries, the dryness of winter is what gives twigs their essence to burn brilliantly.   

Lastly, Merry Christmas wherever you may be;  be it enroute on a long and arduous trek to your own personal Bethlehem, getting rejected by an allegorical inn keeper, sitting in a lowly manger, or basking in the glow of afterbirth, surrounded by the adulation of shepherds, wise men, and angels. 

Bear witness this Christmas

This holiday season, as you go about in the hurly burly of festivities, do remember to take a moment to slow down and ask about the people around you. While your world may be set ablaze with the lights, the parties, and the spirit of the Yuletide season, many are going through the darkest times of their lives. The winter nights are long, the cold foreboding. Remember to welcome people to the hearth of your fires, to share the glow of your heart. The holiday commercials may dictate for us the norm to laugh and be merry. Yet it is just important, just as needed, if not more so, to share our burdens, to reach out a hand, to cry together, and to remind those who are alone, are in need, in sickness, in sorrow , or in trouble that they are in fact not alone. Christ, born of a humble birth, is the allegorical anticipated hope. May we embody the star that not only lead the wise men to worship him, but to those bowed low in search of salvation. Bear witness, bear witness not only to the good of our year, but bear witness to the struggles of those around you, for they are real and worthwhile. Bear witness to them who fight silently, bear witness to those who put on a straight face that you may have a smile on yours. Sometimes all it takes is a casual hello, a knowing smile, and a simple exchange of words to speak volumes; to say "I see you and I acknowledge you."

Thanksgiving in tough times

To be thankful, we need to take a step back and appreciate the little things that we have that happens to mean a lot. Gratitude does not come easy, in fact in a world that is forever moving, ever pushing us to go forward, diving deeper into our lives, it can be damn difficult to find the time and space to simply pause and acknowledge life's blessings. 

It is even harder when your life is not going the way you have intended it.  It takes courage to go against the tide, it takes patience to stand still, and it requires integrity to believe that goodness is there to be found.

Yet, it is good for the soul to be thankful. I know this, for there are numerous times I have found that if I even spare a moment to express my thanks for the opportunity to face the challenges affronted me; to grief over the lost of someone or something dear; to even be able to potentially mess up on a greater level - it makes a difference. 

Thanksgiving is not easy, yet it is necessary. As you go through this season I implore you to find a way to really stop and give thanks. And, if you can, help those around you who are in need of it to find a way to give thanks as well.

We may not be going through easy times, but if we find a way to be thankful, it makes it slightly better. Thanksgiving builds character and requires it.

Lest we forget

May we never forget the sacrifices made,
By young men and maidens like,
Who to far off shores laid down their lives,
That we may keep our homes from terror ' s blight.
Their blood flow upon sandy beaches, and muddy trenches
Their hearts stopped beating on foreign soil

With their blood, sweat, and tear they secure our future
With courage and defiance, with a simple call to service they marched on
Into the worst of times, into the thick of battle
Their screams and agony, the price for our tranquility and serenity

And so we give them thanks, and so we honor them,
Those who gave their youth that we may raise our young in better times
Those who stood tall and proud when the tides urges us to turn and bow low
Those who redeemed our humanity in our darkest hour
Through faith, duty, and loyalty, for G-d and country

We give you thanks, members of the armed forces, at home and abroad, past and present
And to your families, may they know we are ever grateful of their contribution and their suffering,
May they know we will never forget.

Give it all you have got, even if what you got is not a lot.

There is no denying some days are tougher than others. When you open your eyes and debate whether to even get out of bed, open the shades, and face the world. You may not feel ready for the world, and that perhaps it is just better to close your eyes and drown yourself in drool as you sleep it off. Yet the world waits, it even knocks on your door, and I say ready or not, just go ahead and face it. You may not feel up to it, but if you just get down with it, you will find it is the right thing to do. After all, giving it your best does not always mean the instant results are spectacular, it just mean you give it all that you have got for that moment, that day. Not every act you do, every word you say is going to be this amazing masterpiece. Yet if you keep at it, little by little, what you attain is character, integrity, and discipline. Giving your best on a good day is easy. Giving all that you have got on a bad day? That is the road to greatness.

Conversation between the heart and mind

Have you ever listen to the conversations between the heart and mind? I find they bear striking resemblance to those shared between a concerned parent and his/her teenage child. 

One day, the heart would sidle up shyly to the mind and say, "I think I might have met someone."
The mind, alarmed, would reply, "What do you mean you may have met someone? Who is it? How did you two meet? How do you know if this is the right person?"
The heart shrugs and mumbles, "Well, you know, you just do, gut feeling sort of thing. I can't give you the details, not just yet. I just want your support in this. "
"I don't know dear, I think you are still too young, and I worried that you might get hurt."
"You worry too much, it's not like we are going to get married or anything. We are barely seeing each other as it is, it's nothing serious yet."

An impasse would then be reached, with the "why not"s and "so what"s being thrown back and forth. The mind worrying that the heart would get hurt; the heart upset that the mind could be right. It's an age-old tale, the protective parent versus the free-willed teenager. One day though, these two will come to an understanding of sorts.

I woke up early this morning and drove up Route 66 to watch the sun rise. There was hardly any traffic, and the grounds were blanketed lightly by a bit of evaporating dew. As I sat there, listening to the chorus of bird songs gaining momentum, in this the heartland of America where I have made my home the couple of years, I am struck by the simplicity that has made this nation amazing. How many generations have woken up to a similar dawn, astounded by the sublime tranquility of this land? We have come to celebrate America with gusto and much fanfare, with rockets red glare, and fireworks bursting in air. Yet, this morning, on the birthday of the nation, I am reminded of its quiet strength. What makes this country great is it vastness, the raw potential it promises. There is richness of the land that invites us to work together in humble labour, to toil and reap from the soil.

As the darkness quietly surrender to the advancing wash of the morning rays, I felt the same hope and optimism that must have inspired the forefathers when they sought to unify this nation. With liberty and equality, and a chance at happiness for all. As roudy as the day promises to get, take a moment and appreciate this land. Happy birthday America.

Some People Don’t Know

Some people don't know

how important it is that they exist.

Some people don't know

how good it is just to see them.

Some people don't know

how comforting their smile is.

Some people don't know

how good it feels to be near them.

Some people don't know

how much poorer we would be without them.

Some people don't know

that they are like Heaven's gift to us.

The imperfect teacher

I think there is fear instilled upon students not to make mistakes.  I think there is an expectation for students to conduct as themselves as they perceive their instructors expect them to - a perfect specimen.  Yet, I firmly believe if we are truthful about it, then we must embrace the fact that we each and every one of us is flawed.  That as consummate a profession as we may want to project ourselves, the truth is we are imperfect beings constantly and consistently aiming for perfection. That we are all in the process of fine tuning ourselves and the art and science that we practice.

The goal, then, is not to have students avoid mistakes, to tread with trepidation, but instead to show them that here at the big leagues, we are capable of screw ups, but more importantly we are capable of overcoming it and turn it into art.  A teacher, then, is not someone who was perfect, but someone who is smart enough to learn from the mistakes of others, and to own up readily those they make themselves.    

We are like bullets aiming for the bull's eye, unless we are inches away, the reality is we will always travel a deviated course dictated by laws of nature, accounting for gravity, temperature, and wind.  The goal is not to shoot straight, but instead to learn to adjust accordingly until the aim is true consistently, no matter the changes in circumstances.

That takes a lot of trial and error, that takes courage from knowing that it is likely we will miss, and hope eternal that we have a chance of hitting spot on.  Confidence, therefore, does not stem from a controlled environment, or rigid adherence to standards of perfection.  Confidence stems from knowing one has a reasonable expectation of screwing up royally but still overcome it in the long run.  Confidence then becomes an innate factor and not an extraneous variable.

Fear creates unnecessary tremors. Unrealistic expectations begets undue stress.  An educator's objective should therefore create an environment where it is alright to mess up.  After all, when and where else can a student afford to blunder if not under the auspices of a teacher?  Energy is wasted on fear.  We dare not approach if we create an ideal image of perfection.  After all, isn't that the same with dating.  We don't ask someone out because they are perfect, but because there is a chance beneath all that "perfection" is an equally flawed being who will accept us and grow with us.

On a side note... don't date your students or teachers, it complicate things.

Keep reaching for the stars

There will always be voices of dissent, criticism, and small mindedness. They often seem louder, and pertinent. This is in part due to the ennobling factor in good people to focus on what is wrong and potentially make it better. Sometimes, good people take it a step too far; they gave too much credence to such criticism, so much so that it cripples them. Yet if you listen closely, the boos and jeers may be loud, but the quiet support and approval of many will overtime overcome. Therefore stay the course, weather the storm, and make compassion your guide. Realize that what you do matters if someone at least has taken the time to criticise. Figure out the parts that are valid, that is true, that gave the critics grounds to criticize. Improve on it, discard the needless emotional content and move on. No need to be drawn in by their misery, no need to be pull down to their level. The beauty of flight is there is always gravity to overcome, still we soar, still we reach for the stars.

The flower grows, not only because the sun draws its adulation, but because it too rakes sustenance from crap heaped upon it. A car moves because of friction allowing the tires to gain traction. So will progress occur, not in a vacuum unchallenged, but through the refinement of constant bombardment, like pebbles carved smooth by running water, pearls from irritation, silver polished by fire.

To my students

There are a lot of things I wish to impart on my students, a lot of which would come across rather artsy fartsy, perhaps pompous even given the fact that my temples are not gray, my bearings not quite professorial.  In fact, perhaps I am too young, too inexperience to even offer it, but here it is nonetheless - take a deep breath, and take a step back.

You have gone to school for quite a few years now, and I have no doubt in your ability to read and make the grades. I have confidence that you are doing your best to attain the science behind all that you do, to the point of citing literature and referencing sources for best practice.  That is all good, and I am immensely proud of you.  Yet, when you step into the clinic, take a deep breath and take a step back.  I know you are eager to show me what you know, I know you are itching to demonstrate your competency, to do what is best for your patients.  I trust you to do at least that.   But take a deep breath, and take a step back.  From science you have built your foundation, now let art take you to the next level, and you should never rush art.

There is art to everything that you do, each little knob you turn, each little tweak you make on the instruments.  There is art in how you approach each patient, there are subtleties that transform the technical protocol into a graceful performance.  Take a deep breath, and take a step back to appreciate that.  Never forget that what separates you from other practitioners is your mark, the art that you bring to your approach to things. You can have all that art down to a science if you take a deep breath, and take a step back.

We all learn the same grammar, we all know probably the same amount of words from the dictionary, but that which separates the Shakespeare's and the Twain's of this world is how they make use of those very same vocabulary and grammatical structures and transform them into something tangible, something visceral.  We, as audiologist and as professional, wield that same power.  Anyone can look into someone's ears, anyone can perform cerumen management, anyone can talk about hearing loss and balance issues given the right amount of technical training, but not everyone can make it an experience endearing to the patients.  Don't rush the moment, as impressive as it may sound to finish a test or a consult in record time, there is little glory in that  save perhaps a fleeting moment of satisfaction.