Colossians 3:23

So, seeing as how I just graduated less than a month ago, I haven't had many opportunities to enjoy my new status.  I almost passed out the first time someone addressed me as "Dr mylastname" without sarcasm. (I was making my husband and child call me doctor. Exclusively. But as they accompanied it with much eye-rolling, it just doesn't count.)

But today, someone asked me what I do.  And, to test it out, I said "I'm a doctor."  The guy congratulated me on being very accomplished (after he asked me, with shock in his voice, how old I am...as usual).  And that was fine. We talked about residency and what I wanted to do after residency.  But then he turned to a coworker and started teasing him, saying "You wanna feel good about yourself? This young lady is only *my age* and she's already a doctor." And then I felt terrible.


Don't get me wrong. I'm proud of where I am in my life. But I don't want to feel good at someone else's expense. I hate that my life could be used to make somebody else feel bad about themselves. I feel that there is pride in any kind of work. Whether you graduated from high school or not.  Whether you control corporations or clean toilets. Mom was always quoting her father (who was himself quoting the Bible) as saying "whatever you do, do it well."  Or something to that effect.  Which I feel is a good way to live your life.  If you take pride in what you do, and you make the effort to do it well, you make it a worthwhile occupation.

The coworker responded by saying "I love what I do!" And that was perfect. He should love what he does. He has a great job, and he was reading a Mark Twain biography almost the entire time I was in his presence.  You won't see me getting to do that in my job, that's for sure.  I'd be tempted, but I'd get fired...