It's a small, small world.

What you know about this?

It's a world of laughter
A world of tears
It's a world of hopes
And a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all. . .

There's this funny thing about blogging. You sort of make "friends" with people that really kind of feel like sho' nuff friends, but instead of it being because you're both on the P.T.A. or in the same class at the gym, it's because you've been privy to some of their innermost thoughts and them to yours. And even if it isn't your innermost thoughts they're privy to, it might be, at least, your random musings which, if you ask me, is the stuff that some of the very best sho' nuff friendships are made of.

That said.

When I started this blog, I sort of imagined it being read by a smattering of local medical students and residents, my doting family, and perhaps a teeny weeny number of others. But something rather interesting happened. More people than that ran across it and actually read it. And then they read it again.  Guess what happened next? We all (sort of) became "friends."

Now because I am not Facebookey nor am I a Facebook-er, it somewhat pains me to acknowledge that I've. . .errr. . ."friended" a few wonderful people in lands near and far thanks to this blog. Oh, and for the record. . . . the reason I don't Facebook is because something about Facebook slightly scares me. Kind of like it has the capability of becoming its own form of crack kind of like that Angry Birds game or Sudoku puzzles.  For that reason, the only people I'll "friend" will be nerds who read blogs or folks who are on the P.T.A. and in the same class with me at the gym. (Although I did watch and was deeply intrigued by "The Social Network" movie on pay-per-view last week!)

Wait, what was the point? 

Don't worry, I do have one. Tonight I am reflecting on one of my blogworld "friends." Specifically one who happens to live in New Zealand. Yes. You read it right. New Zealand.  New Zealand Lucy---who not only faithfully reads these crazy and oft times non-medically related ramblings, she also happens to be one of the most consistent comment-ers next to my parents (which, if you blog, you realize is mighty kind.)

Anyways. This morning I was watching the news and all of a sudden this breaking story comes on about this awful earthquake in New Zealand.  Buildings collapsing. People getting hurt. Others losing their lives. . . .

Oh no!

That's what I said when I saw the news story. Before I started this blog, I am certain that I would have seen that headline and still said, "Oh no!"  But this, "Oh no!" today was different.  It was like the "Oh no!" I said when I watched the levees breaking in New Orleans. I actually knew people who lived in the Big Easy and I also knew people whose people lived there, too. With that it was personal.

When that tsunami swallowed an entire coast, I also said "Oh no!" But again. It was different. Yes, my heart ached for every single person affected. . . but I didn't have a real person to call up and ask, "Hey, Is your mom okay?" or "How is your sister?"  With every natural and unnatural disaster, I pray. . . often cry. . . look for ways to give. . . .but many times, especially when it happens far away from home. . . I am mostly praying for nameless strangers.

But not today.

Today, I saw that news and immediately worried about my "friend" in the South Pacific.  I know so little about New Zealand and other than it being very far, very beautiful, and obviously very gnarly considering it was good enough for the "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy and to be the location for the last cycle of America's Next Top Model, I am pretty much clueless.  So I hear of these terrible earthquakes and their aftershocks, and I hope that New Zealand Lucy is no where near the fault line and that her "people" aren't either. I see a building crumble and clutch my chest because in a way that I can only describe as indescribable it is a little bit personal.  Imagine that. I am a black woman in Atlanta, Georgia and there is somebody in New Zealand--yes, New Zealand--that I am hoping is okay.

Crazy.

So right now my prayers are with my "friend" in New Zealand, and perhaps some other New Zealand "friends" who also read but don't comment. I am reflecting on the blemishes to your stunning countryside that I've only seen in pictures and I'm hoping you're okay. And even if you're okay, I'm asking, "Hey, how is your mother?" and "Is your sister okay?"  I am crossing my fingers and looking for your faithful comments at the end of my posts. . . .and hoping they can somehow be translated to mean "Yeah, girl, I'm okay."  And what's really crazy is, now that you all are reading this post. . . . you're hoping it, too.  Will you say a little or even a big prayer, too?

Thanks.

Yeah, man. Writing this blog has taught me a lot. And one of the very best things it has taught me was something Walt Disney tried to get into my thick skull over thirty years ago -- it's a small world after all, man. . . . . .Crazy small.


Hope you're okay, Lucy.


~ Dr. M