Learning to Change

I went to work this Hallowe’en in my nurse’s cap with black band, wearing my woollen serge navy blue cape, the red lining beneath adding style and colour. Wearing cap and cape on my graduation day, in September of 1968, over a starched white cotton uniform culminated three years of education specific to the tasks of nursing, the principles of nursing and an elevation into being a working member of society. This at a time, 1968, when more and more women were advancing into the work force and outside of choosing only nursing, secretarial work or marriage and family as a career. Many times I feel as though I chose all three. Marriage and family came in tandem with nursing, with secretarial education squeezed in just before those two pivotal choices.

Education has allowed me to do all of those things. But, more importantly education has allowed women to step forward into a myriad of careers in areas of their choosing. And, it has allowed men to enter fields of work that were traditionally, like nursing, seen as only for women. Education has allowed our minds and hearts to expand to take in anyone choosing to learn. This does not mean that there are not still controversies about what work we each should do. Particular family or societal cultures take much longer to change than a few semesters or class times. However the curiosity and drive of youth ultimately moves old attitudes aside - well sometimes just plain pushes them aside. (A little respect develops as youth becomes not so youthful.)

Conversation behind the nurses’ station today was about the changes in hierarchy between physician’s and nurses over the years - colleagues with common goals rather than handmaiden and superior. Dress code changes - no more nurse’s caps to slide sideways or starched uniforms with white stockings; doctors in more casual dress even in hospitals, ties a thing of the past for most. Education about human rights, equality between genders and levels of society have changed all of these things, despite the remaining controversies.

And Hallowe’en? Much more sanitized in this generation, but still complete with pumpkins carved into Jack o'Lanterns. Parents coming with their children to trick or treat - at least the young kiddos. Hallowe’en gatherings in community settings for safety begin the week before here in Victoria. Education involved is about safety, dressing up as monsters, pirates, or princesses, and that too much candy isn’t good for stomach or teeth. I’ll close with my favourite memory of Hallowe’en ~  my Grade Eight teacher, Mrs. Isaac throwing popcorn balls out to a crowd of teenagers getting too old for trick or treating, but reaching for one more treat with maybe a trick or two thrown in.

“Change is the end result of all true learning.”

~ Leo Buscaglia