1/
Stepped onto the Grady elevator last week. A Grady elder tipped his cap to me and nodded.

Me: “Good morning.”
Him: “Good morning, doc.”

*silence*

Him: “I like your hairdo.”
Me: *patting head* “Thanks, sir.”
Him: “I see you let them greys come on in, huh?”

*laughter*
2/
Me: “Yeah. Went on and let ‘em do what they wanted even at the risk of looking older.”
Him: *scowls* “Older than who?”
Me: “Older than my age. . . or just older than I want to look.”

He turned his mouth downward and nodded.

Him: “Mind me asking your age?”
3/
Me: *nervous laugh* “I would say guess but I’m scared of what you’ll say.”
Him: *squints* “Hmm. You somewhere ‘tween ‘bout . . .mmm 45, 50 or so.”
Me: “50.”
Him: *nods and shrugs* “Yeah that seem ‘bout right.”
Me: “Wow. That’s cold.”

I laughed. He did not.
4/
Him: “What’s cold about me saying you look 50?”

*silence*

Him: “Why do that got to mean you don’t look good?”
Me: “I was going for younger.”
Him: “But why? I know it seem like everybody value youth. But not me.” *points at floor* “My wife her prettiest right now to me.”
5/
Me: “How old is your wife now?”
Him: “73.”

*silence*

Me: “I think the combination of grey hair and COVID pounds makes me feel like I look older than I should.”
Him: “Older than you WAS or older than you should?”
Me: *thinking*
Him: “It’s okay to look older than you was.”
6/
Him: *eyes softening* “I say ain’t too many thangs more beautiful than a woman aging. ‘Specially when she happy.”
Me: *listening*
Him: “I know you wanted me to say you look 35. But I know what Black women look like at 50. And what they look like is GOOD.”

*laughter*
7/
The elevator pinged open on my floor.

Me: “I like that.”
Him: “It’s true.”

I stepped toward the door and looked back. He tipped his cap once more.

Me: “Sir? I really do look 35 without the mask, though.”

*laughter*

I waved goodbye and walked off.
8/
His words have stayed with me all weekend.

Yup. My hair’s more grey these days. My face, a bit fuller & my eyes have more crinkles. No question—I do look older than I was.

But that’s OK. I’m a woman and I’m aging. And that’s a beautiful thing.

‘Specially when you happy.☺️

• • •

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More from @gradydoctor

17 Nov
1/
1st day on a new service:

Me: "Hey there. . . Mr. Jones? I’m Dr. Manning. I’m the new senior doctor on your team."
Him: *arms folded in chair and staring at floor* "Mmm hmm."
Me: “Good to meet you.”

*silence*

I noticed his long, long legs extending across the linoleum.
2/
Me: “Hmm. Let me guess...are you... 6’4? 6’5?"
Him: *eyeroll*

*silence*

Him: "That's a dumb-ass question.”
Me: “My bad, sir. Guess I was just curious and thought I'd ask."
Him: "Go on and get curious 'bout these lungs, hear?"

Yikes.
3/
Mr. Jones took exaggerated breaths as I auscultated his back. Lungs had good air exchange. He wasn't requiring oxygen. And, according to the respiratory therapist, he was tolerating less frequent breathing treatments.

This meant he'd be safe for discharge home.
Read 16 tweets
11 Nov
1/
She almost ran me over. Right outside the Grady entrance by Jesse Hill Jr. Drive.

Her: "Sorry, 'scuse me!"

She blew by panting and didn’t even look in my direction. As she did, her right shoulder shrugged hard to secure the diaper bag sliding off of it.

Me: “It’s okay.”
2/
Her young face was troubled and full of urgency and determination. Too much urgency if you asked me. But so very determined.

The next words she spoke were for the preschooler who, instead of keeping up with her, was studying me.

Her: "Come on! I said we in a hurry!"
3/
I playfully raised my eyebrows and wiggled my fingers at the child who, instead of smiling back, recoiled toward her mother. Still, as they passed me by, she craned her neck keeping those eyes trained on me in my long white coat.

My long white coat.

Oh yeah, that.
Read 20 tweets
7 Nov
1/
Few things excite me more than seeing someone win an award in which I helped prepare the #awardnomination.

BEST.
THING.
EVER.

After lots of winning (and losing) nominations—and awards committees—I’ve developed an approach.

Let’s discuss, shall we?
2/
Okay, so let’s break this thing down like this using these 5 Ws:

WHO
WHAT
WHEN
WHERE
WHY

I like to start here before proceeding. Why? Because an honest assessment is key before passing go.

Feel me?
3/
Let’s be concrete:

WHO/WHAT: What’s the award & is it suitable for the individual? Are they in the target group?
WHEN: Do you have time to prepare a strong nomination by the deadline or nah?
WHERE/WHY: National? Regional? How can this advance your colleague?

Got it?
Read 16 tweets
5 Nov
1/
Typing notes & earhustling at the nurses’ station:

Older lady: "Where you been?"
Younger lady: "I lost my grandmother so was away."
OL: *looks sad* "Oh, really? Baby, I'm so sorry for your lost."
YL: "Loss."
Me: *looks up from computer*
OL: "Beg pardon?"

OMG. OMG. OMG.
2/
YL: "You said 'LOST.' It's my LOSS that you’re sorry for."
Me: *mouthing after tiny gasp* "Oh snaaaaap!"

*awkward silence*

YL: "No T. Like, LOST is mostly a verb and LOSS is a noun."
Me: *silent scream into fist*

*silence*

(actual GIF of me in that moment)👇🏾
3/
OL: "Well. Okay. I'm sorry for all of it whatever the hell you call it."
YL: "Just say LOSS with an S not LOST like a lost and found."
OL: "Wait. Am I giving you condolences and you gon' give me. . . . a grammar lesson?”

*super duper awkward silence while OL glares at her*
Read 4 tweets
27 Oct
1/
I gave a talk and it was good.
But I wanted it to be great.

I looked at the evals.
I had a trusted colleague give feedback.
I practiced.

I gave the talk again.
Incorporated those insights.
And it was great.

But I wanted it to be greater.
2/
I asked someone I respect to watch the talk.
And give some immediate feedback.
They did.

Then, they asked me to send my slides.
And I did.

They took some time and looked at them.
Then gave me even more feedback.
Specific and laser focused.

On my "great" talk.

Yup.
3/
Like, slide by slide feedback.

"Keep this."
"Maybe ditch that."
"Consider tweaking this."
"Develop that more."

Yup.

They also asked what I thought.
Because that part matters, too.
And we incorporated that into even more feedback.

Yup.
Read 8 tweets
23 Oct
1/
Who lives?
Who dies?
Who tells your story?

You would have been 100 years old yesterday. And, from what I hear, if it were up to you that day would have involved teaching and patient care.

And family, too.

Yup.
2/
I met you before you departed. Stood by as you taught EKG vectors feeling relieved that you weren’t calling on junior faculty.

Whew!

When it came to teaching, you were, as we used to say around my way, “‘bout that life.”

Yeah. That.

‘Bout that LIFE.
3/
But back to those questions from #Hamilton—who lives? Who dies? Who dies? Who tells your story?

I know—you’re like, “What is #Hamilton? But stay with me, sir.

I think it’s a question about legacy and impact. I think that’s why it’s my favorite song in that whole show.

Yup.
Read 11 tweets

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