Ostentatious

I once had an incident when I showed up for a Wednesday meeting in my scrubs because I had come directly from work and didn't want to take the extra time. Time included, driving home, changing, pulling the kids off me then driving back to the church. So, I came in scrubs. One of the quorum members pointed out in a joking manner how ostentatious I was being by coming in my scrubs. Both he and I know why it must be this way, especially for the time being (residency), where every ounce of time is very very precious. Precious because I only have a limited amount of it during each day, and every single minute of it is demanded in one way or another. Lest I go off on another tangent on how people abuse the time I give them, I will stere back.

So, I hate going out in the public in scrubs. You might as well pin a sign on me that says, "Here stands a mighty surgeon...or dentist". Though thoughts of putting on a jacket and stripping off my pants has crossed my mind, I think this idea (especially the latter) may pose a worse outcome.

It is the reality in which I live. There is only so much I can do. However, there are things which can be done. So, you doctors out there...take note on a few suggestions I have, off the top of my head...

1. Don't go to church in scrubs! This just gives the wives extra "I'm above all the other ladies becuase I married a super doctor-dude" (see #2). If you do wear them, then be ready to bust out the pen and prescription pad.

No one else comes in their overalls from the machine shop. Show some decency and go to work in a shirt and tie on the weekend, change in the hospital, then change back before going to church. Show some respect to the Lord. Put some effort into showing Him that you care enough to put some thought and effort into Sunday worship. You're there to worship Him, and not for people to worship you. Show the people at work where your heart is on the Sabbath day.

2. Write/Tell your wives a prescription of humility which strips them of their haughtiness and pride. They must think outside of their superiority "clicks". Ask more questions of others and not just be ready to talk about "themselves, and their latest up-do, fingernails, future ginormous home, etc." Challenge them to ask 5 questions to another woman who is not married to a doctor. Amazing how interesting people are other than YOU!

3. Doctors recieve a lot of respect and attention. Rightly so! They sacrifice heavily, and spend a lot of time to become such. However, they put their pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else. Where they are superior in some ways, they still lack in others. You can be the smartest man alive, and yet a fool at the same time.