The Student Becomes The Teacher
This week I ran into a guy that grew up in the neighborhood right behind me. He is about 4 or 5 years younger than me so we didn’t know each other well but I do have the distinction of being his first boss. He worked for me when he was in college and I was the manager of a small retail store.
Fast-forward 6 years and he is now working for the same company I am working for and is the manager of one of the newer divisions of the company. We are about to launch the product for which his division oversees so I will be taking direction from him in the near future. I think it’s funny how these things work. Now the student has become the teacher.
Bad Medicine
This weekend and the early part this week was pretty brutal for me. I was sick; so sick that I went to the doctor. Normally I just suck it up or just stay at home and rest. Not this time.
So I am prescribed a couple of drugs to help with the problem. I take them to the pharmacy where I am informed I will have to wait 45 minutes to an hour. Oh well, I am at H-E-B Plus so I can pick up some provisions. When I am finished with my shopping and my prescriptions are ready I go to pick them up. “The pharmacist would like to talk to you about these medicines,” says the friendly assistant.
I move to the neighboring window and the pharmacist approaches with two amber colored bottles. Big ones. I am thinking to myself, “Self, how long do you have to take these pills?” Not too long, actually. Oh no, these are horse pills, they just need big bottles to hold them. The pharmacist exclaims emphatically, and I paraphrase to spare the details, “These will help control some of the symptoms of your problem. Take two, every six hours as needed. They will help you feel a lot better.” Easy enough. “Now, this antibiotic is really strong and is going to work very well. It is not a very pleasant medicine. It is going to leave a bit of a metallic taste in your mouth. And, make sure you take it with food because if you don’t you will throw it up.” Okay!?!
Today is four days later. I am now able to translate her pharmacist jargon. “Medicine that works tastes terrible so suck it up. You are going to gag a little when you take it and for the next 5 days your mouth is going to taste like you have been sucking on an aluminum lollypop. Enjoy.”
