Tomorrow I must introduce myself

I'm at a medical conference this week.

Whenever I'm surrounded by hundreds of fellow physicians, I feel such affection for my colleagues. Everyone's so pleasant, despite looking generally fatigued and overworked. Everyone's so keen, focusing respectfully on the speakers, jotting down notes and asking well thought out questions. And everyone's so agreeable, tilting their pelvises in time to the music as the YWCA instructor - an energetic woman with a blonde bob in a track suit - shouts instructions during the aerobics breaks between speakers.

This feeling of camaraderie was only intensified when I glanced over this afternoon during a lecture on acute diverticulitis and noticed another physician knitting a sweater. She was knitting a red, adult-sized cabled sweater in the round while listening attentively to the speaker. Her needles continued to click and flash through the presentations on incontinence surgery, inguinal hernia repair and breast reconstruction.

I was impressed on two levels. First, that she can presumably absorb the information presented without taking any notes. And second, that she can do cables while listening to rapid-fire presentations on the latest medical research. I can't do either. She did look to be in her fifties; perhaps in twenty years I'll have evolved to her state.

I apologize for the poor quality of the photo, taken with my PDA. I snapped it surreptitiously, because one thing weirder than a doctor knitting her way through a conference is another doctor photographing her handiwork during the 'nutrition break.'

Comments

[Hilary]

That guy in the background may be on to you...

[celeste allyn]

Only you M, only you.

[Lynn]

So, did you introduce yourself?

[velocibadgergirl]

That is awesome :D

My mom works for one of our branch libraries, and they made her go to this goofy system-wide "staff institute" that was only interesting to clerks and reference staff, not shelvers like Mom.

One of my friends is a reference librarian at another branch, and she told me that my mom knitted (knit? knut? knat?) through the entire day.

[slydi]

this makes me wonder what you're up to on the 'fresh air breaks'...

[Ricky]

I knit while I read blogs (and books); I find it calms my brain so I feel more relaxed and focused.

[Mary Smith]

I know exactly how you feel about the sneaky photography! I can feel awkward and shy too.

[LovingLynden]

Hope she's not my doctor and she doesn't care enough to pay attention...
Thanks for another good laugh
LovingLynden

[Amy H.]

LOL! Did you introduce yourself? Hope you enjoyed the rest of the conference!

[FreshMD]

No, I never did introduce myself. By Friday I had spotted two other knitters and a crocheter. No latch hookers, though.

[dragonfly]

Awesome. I really should learn how to cable...

[Lianne Miller]

This whole blog is frickin' hillarious. You are TOO funny Martina.