Despite having 5 O' Levels, two of them were in similar subjects so I had to sit the nursing entrance exam. Whilst waiting in the corridor to go in, I starting chatting to a quiet woman stood next to me, about this and that, but mainly that I felt called to do nursing. She said the same.
We went in and one of the weirdest and only questions that I can recall, was along the lines of "if a baby weighing such and such was given a dose of a drug measuring such and such, how much would you give to a kitten weighing such and such?". I have no idea if I got it correct as it was obviously a maths question based on similar things at school to do with filling a bath with buckets of water for x amount of time:(
Many people having coffee afterwards, also commented on it and we all gave differing answers:)
Anyhow, on the first day we started our 10 weeks training, this same quiet lady was also there. As it turned out, we were both married to servicemen, as were another two ladies. One was very full on and didn't particularly want to engage with us but the other woman, was also quiet and we and her also became friends. One of the problems of being 'in the military' is moving and none of us knew if we would be in the area long enough to finish training.
Over the next few years, these friendships blossomed and although the second woman and myself are no longer in touch, that quiet first woman and I, still are and remain very good friends.
She no longer lives anywhere near me but has family who does and when able, pops in for a drink and a chat. It is amazing how we seem to be able to communicate 'through the ether' as it were.
For example, when one gets in touch, the other is just about to do so etc. We have been friends for over 25 years now and have a remarkable amount of similar ideas and thinking to each other but differences as well. I know I could tell her anything and she would keep mum and not broadcast it far and wide.
Thanks my dear, for your continuing friendship and communication, both of which give me a great deal of pleasure and companionship.
Such friendships are truly special - often they start in really quiet, unexpected ways - but decades later prove to be most precious. I love that my best friend and I , though miles apart, can 'pick up the threads' immmediately and continue our chats without any explanation or preambles. And shared memories becoem more important as the years go by too. What a thoughtful, lovely post- God bless your friendship for years to come
ReplyDeleteFriends and friendship like that are worth their weight in hold. Cherish it xxx
ReplyDeleteI am still in touch with my nursing colleagues and we trained in the early 60s.. best years of my working life. I was bride's maid to my closest friend and we still laugh about things we did and got up to in all those years ago!
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