1/
#WeBelong, Day 2 of 7
Grady wards, 2009
Pt: “Hey Doc Manning, you got any crumbsnatchers?”
Me: “Yup. Two wild ones.”
Pt: *squints* “Ooooh! They ain’t wild, is they?”
Me: “Chile. One of ‘em fell out last night in the toy aisle at Target.”
Pt: “Whaat? Lawd!”
*laughter*
#WeBelong, Day 2 of 7
Grady wards, 2009
Pt: “Hey Doc Manning, you got any crumbsnatchers?”
Me: “Yup. Two wild ones.”
Pt: *squints* “Ooooh! They ain’t wild, is they?”
Me: “Chile. One of ‘em fell out last night in the toy aisle at Target.”
Pt: “Whaat? Lawd!”
*laughter*
2/
My team looked puzzled.
Me: “Hold up. Do y’all know what a crumbsnatcher is?”
*silence*
One of the interns spoke first.
Her: “I mean, from context clues, my guess is . . is it . . . kids?”
Pt: *points* “Ding-Ding!”
*laughter*
My team looked puzzled.
Me: “Hold up. Do y’all know what a crumbsnatcher is?”
*silence*
One of the interns spoke first.
Her: “I mean, from context clues, my guess is . . is it . . . kids?”
Pt: *points* “Ding-Ding!”
*laughter*
3/
Me: “Yeah. Kids. Usually little ones. ”
Pt: “Yeah and the type that cut the fool out in public.”
*laughter*
Student: “Cut the fool?”
The patient and I exchanged glances. Then we exploded in laughter. So did the nurse who was flushing his IV.
Me: “Yeah. Kids. Usually little ones. ”
Pt: “Yeah and the type that cut the fool out in public.”
*laughter*
Student: “Cut the fool?”
The patient and I exchanged glances. Then we exploded in laughter. So did the nurse who was flushing his IV.
4/
Nurse: *shakes her head* “Chile. Us Black folks is undefeated when it comes to making up words and sayings.”
Me: “I know that’s right!”
*laughter*
Student: “Wait. I still don’t know what ‘cut the fool’ means.”
Nurse: “It’s your kid falling out in Target.”
*laughter*
Nurse: *shakes her head* “Chile. Us Black folks is undefeated when it comes to making up words and sayings.”
Me: “I know that’s right!”
*laughter*
Student: “Wait. I still don’t know what ‘cut the fool’ means.”
Nurse: “It’s your kid falling out in Target.”
*laughter*
5/
Student: “Falling out . . . of what?”
Intern: “Sounds like he threw a tantrum?”
Me: “Yep. And I called my daddy and said, ‘Your grandson is up in Target cutting a fool.”
*laughter*
Things quieter down and we prepared to leave the room.
Me: “Alright then, sir.”
Student: “Falling out . . . of what?”
Intern: “Sounds like he threw a tantrum?”
Me: “Yep. And I called my daddy and said, ‘Your grandson is up in Target cutting a fool.”
*laughter*
Things quieter down and we prepared to leave the room.
Me: “Alright then, sir.”
6/
Me: “We’ve put in your discharge, okay?”
Him: “Okay! And you said tests from when I was running off came back okay?”
Me: “Yes, sir. They all came back negative.”
Nurse: “They also stopped that stool softener.”
*laughter*
We all waved good bye and walked out of the room.
Me: “We’ve put in your discharge, okay?”
Him: “Okay! And you said tests from when I was running off came back okay?”
Me: “Yes, sir. They all came back negative.”
Nurse: “They also stopped that stool softener.”
*laughter*
We all waved good bye and walked out of the room.
7/
The student stopped in the hall.
Student: “Um Dr. Manning?”
Me: *turning to face them*
Student: “So . . . ‘running off’ is that. . . diarrhea?”
I paused and smiled. Then I gave a slow nod.
Me: “It’s a term I grew up hearing my folks say. They’re from Alabama.”
*silence*
The student stopped in the hall.
Student: “Um Dr. Manning?”
Me: *turning to face them*
Student: “So . . . ‘running off’ is that. . . diarrhea?”
I paused and smiled. Then I gave a slow nod.
Me: “It’s a term I grew up hearing my folks say. They’re from Alabama.”
*silence*
8/
Student: *quietly* “I love that. And I loved . . . that.”
We both looked back toward our patient’s room.
Intern: “Did your son really throw a tantrum in Target?”
Me: *shrugs* “That’s what crumbsnatchers do.”
And our whole team collectively laughed.
Because we got it.
Student: *quietly* “I love that. And I loved . . . that.”
We both looked back toward our patient’s room.
Intern: “Did your son really throw a tantrum in Target?”
Me: *shrugs* “That’s what crumbsnatchers do.”
And our whole team collectively laughed.
Because we got it.
9/
Funny. I used to hold back on embracing racial and cultural concordance in front of others at work. Mostly it was out of fear that I needed to assimilate to succeed.
But eventually I realized that the exact opposite was true.
And that it was better
Funny. I used to hold back on embracing racial and cultural concordance in front of others at work. Mostly it was out of fear that I needed to assimilate to succeed.
But eventually I realized that the exact opposite was true.
And that it was better
10/
Better for my wellness.
Better for my learners.
Better for my patients.
Yup.
My crumbsnatchers are now nearly 6 feet tall. The one who fell out in Target is now driving.
And while he does still cut the occasional fool, it’s only in the form of pranks on his mom.
Ha.
Better for my wellness.
Better for my learners.
Better for my patients.
Yup.
My crumbsnatchers are now nearly 6 feet tall. The one who fell out in Target is now driving.
And while he does still cut the occasional fool, it’s only in the form of pranks on his mom.
Ha.
11/
Pat Benatar said it beautifully:
“We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under. . .”
Word like
Crumbsnatchers
Falling out
Cutting the fool
Running off
And so much more.
And also
Your words, too, okay?
#WeBelong 💛
Pat Benatar said it beautifully:
“We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under. . .”
Word like
Crumbsnatchers
Falling out
Cutting the fool
Running off
And so much more.
And also
Your words, too, okay?
#WeBelong 💛
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
