1/
#WhatsYourWhy: Day 7 of 7

Car Wash

Me: *approaching car* "Oh my bad. I thought they called for me."
Him: "Hey Doc . . . almost done." *looks over at co-worker* "She a doctor. Ask her."
Me: *turning to her* "Ask me what?"

She snapped him with a towel and scowled.
2/
Her: "Forget him! I ain't buggin' you out here."
Him: "Doc, you want air freshener today?"
Me: "Sure." *turning to her* "Happy to answer a question if you have one. But I also understand if you didn't want him putting you on blast."

*laughter*

She was limping.
3/
Me: "Something with your foot?"
Him: "See? Tell her!"

*pause*

Her: *shaking head* "My foot be killing me. 'Specially in the morning when I first get up."
Me: "Yeah?"
Her: "Yeah! Like that first step out my bed?" *squeezing her eyes* "Baybaaaay! You talkin' bout some pain?"
4/
The internist nerd in me rejoiced.

Me: "Where's the pain?"
Her: "Like. . .right on the bottom. . . ." *pointing at sole of shoe* ". . like in the middle of my arch."

Another internal pirouette.

Me: "I think I know what this is."
Her: "Do I need an x-ray?"
Me: "Nope."
5/
She looked relieved.

I gave her a brief elevator pitch on plantar fasciitis along with a few things she could do in the interim to feel better.

And that was that.

Him: "Okay. You all done, Doc."
Me: *sniffing* "Oh man. What's that fragrance?"

They both laughed.
6/
Her: "He on a kick with this 'Fruity Pebbles' scent."
Me: *sniffing* "I never thought I'd want my car to smell like cereal yet. . . ."
Him: "But it smell sooo good, right?" *looking at her* "See, hater?"

*laughter*

Me: "Hey--so have y'all thought about the #COVIDVaccine?"
7/
I got into the driver's seat and left the door ajar.

Him: "They made that thang so faaaast, doc. I don't know, mane."
Me: *nodding* "That's real. But you know they gave it to thousands of people in the research studies first."
Him: "But not no Black people!"

Hmmm.
8/
Me: "That's not true. I was in one of the studies and I'm Black."
Him: "Whaat? You let them folks inject you?"
Me: *laughing* "Why you say it like that?"
Him: *shaking head and waving a car forward*
Me: "Yup, I did. Just for you. But for real, it was on the up and up."
9/
I noticed she'd stop speaking.

Me: *to her* "What about you, sis?"
Her: "Nope. I put my trust in Jesus."
Me: "Hmm. Tell me what you mean."

She wiped my mirror with the towel in her hand. Even though it was already dry.

Her: "I feel like God ain't in this shot."

Ooph.
10/
He stopped to listen to what she was saying. It was clear he'd never heard her position on this.

Her: "I mean. . . God got a perfect system. I'm putting my trust in Him."
Me: "Gotcha. I can tell you been thinking about this."
Her: "I been praying. A lot."
Me: *listening*
11/
Me: "You know anyone who passed from #COVID?"

They both exchanged glances. It was clear that, whoever it was, was someone close to her.

Me: "Somebody close to you?"
Her: "Yeah.
Me: "I'm sorry."

She looked to see if another car was coming. Seeing none, she shifted away.
12/
I decided to back off.

Me: "Alright y'all." *reaching over to fasten seatbelt* "See y'all next time."

I pulled the door closed. But feeling unsettled by how I'd ended my exchange with her, I rolled down the window.

Suddenly, there was commotion.

Him: "Doooc!"
13/
Her: "Doooc!"

*both waving their hands*

Me: *hands splayed shrugging* "What?! What I do?"
Them: *in unison* "YOU ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOW!"
Me: "Oh hell! Y'all had me thinking I ran over somebody!"

*laughter*

Him: "You streaked up your window, doc! Just as bad!"
14/
Me: "Y'all know I ain't tripping on that."
Him: "You funny, doc."

I looked back at her.

Me: "Sis. . .I hope your foot feel better. And I'm sorry 'bout your loss."
Her: *nods* "'Preciate you. I'm'on' freeze me a water bottle soon as I get home."
Me: "That's what's up."
15/
Him: "Aye! So you really think I should get that shot?"
Me: *hands on steering wheel* "I do, friend."
Him: "I could get it Grady? Or where?"
Me: "Grady. Health Dept. Publix. A bunch of places."
Him: "Ok. But if I grow another head, I'ma come find you at Grady."

*laughter*
16/
Me: "Bet. I'll let y'all know when I have more info on where when I see y'all next time."

Y'all.
Not "you."

Me: "Hey sis? We can see about your foot at Grady, too."
Her: "Oooh! Okay."
Me: "See? For all you know God sent me here with my dirty car to talk to you today!"
17/
*laughter*

Her: "I'll probably take the shot. I might have some more questions, though."
Me: "And I might have more answers."

Me: *smiling behind mask*
Her: *smiling back behind mask*

I waved and pulled out onto the street.

And that was that.
18/
Concern about "warp speed."
An interpretation of faith and science as mutually exclusive.
+
Loss.

These were some their whys.

Theirs.

Ask.
Listen.
Wait.
Return.

A potential yes can be disguised as an unyielding no.
You just have to stick around long enough.

You know?
19/
Thanks.

I appreciate y'all engaging for these 7 days of #WhatsYourWhy. None of these encounters took long. And we can all do this. Any and all of us.

Yup.

There's no playbook.
There's no perfect script.
Just show up.

The secret sauce is humanism.💛

#BlackWhysMatter

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More from @gradydoctor

20 Jan
1/
A Grady elder once told me that we should all learn (and savor) ALL 3 verses of the Negro National Anthem. In honor of her-- and this historic moment--these @EmoryMedicine #BlackWomeninMedicine have done just that.

The first but not the last. . . .
2/
. . . and at @EmoryMedicine, not the only either.

We are Assistant, Associate, and FULL Professors.
We are deans, vice chairs, chiefs, educators, investigators, and more.

And this?

This is for colored girls who considered quitting when the expectation wasn't enuf. . .
3/
Sis. . . .you've got this. Yes, you.

We see you.
We're with you.
We celebrate you.

The first but not the last. Oh, happy day! 🌄✊🏾

#RepresentationMatters
#BlackWomeninMedicine
#BlackWomenatEmoryMedicine
#LiftEvryVoice
#TheFirstButNotTheLast
#WeGotNOW
Read 4 tweets
18 Jan
1/
#WhatsYourWhy: Day 6 of 7

You

You know how much I love you. We’re so close that sometimes we do that thing where we call each other at the same time. Because, in that precise moment, we both felt a cosmic need to connect.

That close.

And, on top of that, you trust me.
2/
I told you that I thought you should be vaccinated. You said something like, “I hear you.” But that? That was before we actually had a #COVIDVaccine.

So I didn’t press you.

But then the news hit. 2 vaccines—and an EUA for them to be injected into arms ASAP.

Yup.
3/
I brought it up again. You answered quickly.

You: “I’ll get it.”
Me: “Wow. Okay.”

And you went back to doing whatever you were doing.

Me: “That's all? Did you want to talk about it?”
You: *shrugging* “I mean. I’m getting it. So . . . “

You laughed.
I did not.
Read 17 tweets
17 Jan
1/
#WhatsYourWhy: Day 5 of 7

Neighborhood Pizza Spot

Them: “Hey doc. . . gon' be a few more minutes.”
Me: *pinching down nose of my mask* “No prob.”
Them: “Sorry ‘bout that. You doing okay?”
Me: “Yup—you?”
Them: “Hangin' in.”

I nodded and stepped over to the side to wait.
2/
Them: *calling to back* “Y’all almost got that Brooklyn Style XL ready?”

Someone yelled back that it was coming out now. They looked over at me and gave me a thumbs up. I returned the gesture.

Them: “Bet y’all super busy. This pandemic is still bad!”
Me: *sigh* “Yeah.”
3/
A man walked in with a fluffy salt and pepper beard peaking around his mask. Without getting a name, they handed him two pizzas.

Man: “Be safe!”
Them: “You, too!”

Be safe.
You, too.

Me: “I love how you know everyone.”
Them: “I do know y’all!”

That made me smile.
Read 14 tweets
16 Jan
1/
#WhatsYourWhy: Day 4 of 7

Senior Center

I stood with my gloved hands folded as she approached my station.

Her: *calling out* “Sorry I’m moving so slow.
Me: “It’s okay. Take your time.”

Slowly she approached, leaning her weight onto a four-prong cane with each step.
2/
She handed me her consent form and ID.

Me: “Hi! My name is Dr. Manning. I’ll be administering your #COVIDVaccine today.”
Her: *nodding* “Nice to meet you. I’m Eloise.”
Me: “Likewise, Ms. Eloise. Thanks for being so patient with us.”
Her: “It’s okay.”

*name/details changed
3/
Me: “Ms. Eloise, you right-handed or left-handed?”
Her; “I’m both handed. I was left but when I was little mama’nem made me learn to use my right.”
Me: *chuckling* “Well, let’s see. . . .which arm do you prefer me to give your shot in?”
Her: “Really? Neither.”

*laughter*
Read 20 tweets
14 Jan
1/
#WhatsYourWhy, Day 3 of 7

Parking lot

I was walking to my car and saw 2 men next to a car and laughing. They appeared relaxed with one another.

Me: *waving* “Y’all doing alright?”
Them: *waving back* “Good and you?”
Me: “Trying to make it.”

They gave knowing nods.
2/
"Trying to make it."
An expression Black folks know well.

Yup.

One was wearing an Atlanta Falcons hoodie with the hood up. Only a strip of pecan-colored skin could be seen above his mask.

The other had on a thread-bare short-sleeved t-shirt & a neck gaiter over his nose.
3/
Me: “Dang! You ain’t cold out here with that short-sleeved shirt?”

He rubbed his dark brown arms and laughed.

Hoodie: “Nah, the ashiness is protective.”

*laughter*

T-shirt: “I’ll take ashy over that wack ass Falcons hoodie.”
Me: “Yeeeah. . .not the best year for us.”
Read 16 tweets
14 Jan
1/
She's a Delta.🔺

Grady wards, 2016

On my rounds one day, I was with a med student talking to these two women about their seriously ill father. They were worried, tired, and understandably nervous. They asked a lot of questions.

A whole lot.

Damn, they were scared.
2/
Then, in the middle of an explanation, I was making hand gestures and one sister interrupted me suddenly.

Her: "Wait. Can I see your hand?"

She slowly turned over my right hand, gasped and then looked over at her sister.

Her: *whispering to sister* "You see that?"
3/
The other sister closed her eyes. Then she smiled and then nodded slowly.

Sister: "You're our soror."

She shook her head and released a big relieved sigh.

Then we embraced in a tight three-way Delta hug as tears rolled down their cheeks.

Damn, it was beautiful.
Read 16 tweets

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