Who in their right mind would read a dispatch with this title? I should change it, maybe entitle this dispatch, healthy and upbeat. However, I’m too sick and stressed to do anything but what’s required. So today I’m not going the extra mile.

Sick – fighting a cold. Been fighting it now for a few weeks. Stressed – coming down to the wire in the EMT class.

The odd thing about emergent illnesses is that you have a choice. You can keep going and then collapse when it reaches out and attempts to strangle you. Or you can just give into it and perhaps avoid being strangled. I have chosen to go with the former, in hopes that my tenacity and general good health will over-ride what now is attempting to define itself as an upper respiratory infection.

And the odd thing about stress and studying is that you have a choice. You can keep at the given task and increase the likelihood you’ll do well. Or you can give in and hope you’ll do well. I’ve chosen to go the former in hopes my tenacity and high level of determination will assure that I’ll do well.

Nothing is a sure thing except the statement that nothing is a sure thing. I don’t know how sick I’m going to be. And

Pete on spine board

I don’t know how I’ll do on the final written exam and practical. I’m not at all worried about the written exam – it is only for the class grade, and mine being high, I don’t have to worry about this.

I never seem to learn what I’m supposed to learn. My taking this class has lent itself to an exploration of my study habits; in fact, more so than most. I noted that four of us had to retake the final class practical, two others were female, and one was male. The male, who is in my group, I think like me, got mired in detail. So I am preparing for the practical by in part strategizing. I’m going to read parts of Amy Cuddy’s book called Presence on Friday and Saturday morning. I’m also going to avoid stress by waiting to go into the class on Saturday until the very last minute. And, I’m going to take advantage of my having two minutes before I have to “preform,” and I’m going to make outline notes, which I will have on hand when I do the individual tasks. Furthermore, I’ll have a clipboard on hand in which I’ll write down the needed medical information that is for that scenario. And I’ll have a notebook with written notes in it for the more rote tasks. I am curious to see how this works out for me.

As for the written exam – I decided not to spend time exclusively going over test questions. Instead, I’m going over the question/answer case studies. I am curious to see how this works out for me.

It’s all one big experiment. My head can be likened to a pinata – the contents will soon be spilled on the floor.

Yep, I am healthy and upbeat. This is an instance of mind over matter.

Next: 341. 12/10/19: Healthy and Blessed