Damn I'm Lucky

I had lunch with a friend today in downtown Palo Alto. I spent a lot of that time complaining about med school, but also realizing that I needed to take everything more seriously, as I'm now planning a career; as opposed to "finding myself" which is what undergraduate education is all about.

As I drove off, I looked to my right and saw a family enjoying the nice weather. It had to be around 75-80 degrees. The father carried his son on top of his shoulders. The child's grandparents followed behind, smiling and chatting. As I looked at this family I thought wow. Here I am, doing exactly what I set out to do from when I was a kid. More than that, even though I'm tied to a desk and chair now, in a few years I will have such a sense of autonomy I won't know what to do with myself! I'll be a doctor! And you can take that *anywhere.* Ok, maybe I'll have to do residency for 5 years to truly be a *useful* doctor, but you get my point.

I think the family triggered those thoughts because of their leisurely stride and happy attitude. I'm not there yet, but because of my career, one day I will be.

Anyway, back to the books..