Starting Up

My roommate has inspired me to recycle regularly, eat whole wheat english muffins instead of bagels for breakfast each morning, and now to start a blog. What do I have to say that is blogworthy? I'm not too sure, but here's what's on my mind today.

I have a friend I call whenever I have any sort of medical problem. She is not a doctor. In fact, she majored in English in college, and now she works in insurance. But she can help you out with any sort of medical question you may have. I would list examples of her expertise, but I can never seem to remember any of the bits of information she passes along for longer than a couple of days. I know I can call her any time though, and she will listen to the list of whatever is ailing me, or any one of my friends. She can then give you her theories on what it might be and an idea of the appropriate type of doctor to see.

I always feel a little bit guilty that I never remember any of the knowledge that she imparts. I wonder what I will do when I have children of my own, or if there is a serious emergency. Try as I might, though, I cannot seem to retain any of it. But today, as I asked questions for yet another friend, I thought beyond the guilt. Even I have my areas of expertise, thought they may not be as essential as medical advice. Need help putting together a piece of furniture? Need a good book recommendation? Need advice about a friendship/ relationship problem? Well, I'm your woman.

I sometimes wish that we all lived in small villages, reminiscent of a time period and culture that I can't quite identify. But in my mind, these small villages are highly organized, thriving communities, in which each person has an expertise that everyone knows about, and each person is utilized for their strengths.

I'm realizing that my vision of these small villages might be a tad bit romanticized. But some of what I envision is a reality. We each have a person we call for advice on relationships, another we call for help putting together a party, another we call for a friend to visit a museum with, and so on. So today, I'm choosing to be thankful for the large village I have now, filled with family and friends that extend across many states and three continents.