“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” ― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

I research.

The internet is both a blessing and a curse for someone who can’t help but want to know more, want to understand. I love that anything I could possibly want to know is at the tip of my fingertips through a myriad of devices, every single day.  I love that I have the ability to answer questions, define things I don’t yet know, understand intricacies of concepts just outside my knowledge base.

I also hate that I have the ability to always know. Sometimes I hate it because things like bar bets have gone aside, as all anyone has to do is pick up the device in their pocket and get the answer to a simple question which has become the product of wild debate. It’s so much less interesting and fun. I’m also a trivia nerd, so I love simply knowing the answer, and not having that instant gratification of being the person who could Google it fastest.

Even worse, I hate my ability to research the bleak. WebMD is a terrible site. Have the slightest ailment? You’ve got cancer. Every. Single. Time.

But, I digress…

I get lost in rabbit holes of research and my time just disappears. I want to know about a book someone mentioned, so I look it up. Which leads me to researching the author, which leads me to look at other writings, and inevitably another book looks interesting. Which starts a new topic search. Following that, I end up on an endless trail of the idea behind the book, news articles relating, reviews (both public and critic), options for purchase, and counter ideals.

I crave knowledge. I crave understanding. I yearn for answers. So… I research.

Now, this only applies to things which interest me. Something I know nothing about, say, for example, car engines? I don’t one iota about them. I don’t care to know anything about them. You can tell me all about the horsepower, the CC, and spout off numbers, and it’s all Greek to me. You could be completely accurate or totally making numbers up and I’d have no discernment between the two. Not only that, people have attempted to teach me when they’ve been passionate about it. And I don’t listen, nor do I care. So, while I could know about those things, the desire to look them up eludes me.

So, as you can imagine, as medical tests come up, as small tidbits of information flutter to my desk in my daily life in the world of medicine, I can’t help but research. I read, and then read more. I find myself in the depths of medical journals and yet another language that is as foreign to me as Farsi. But, the people around me are all medical professionals. I have a wealth of knowledge at my disposal every day. Which is fabulous. I know more about medicine now than I ever thought I would. I never imagined I’d want to work in this industry, never dreamed that I would find it remotely appealing. Today, I count myself blessed to have, yet again, stumbled into a professional world which is so gratifying.

I get to learn. I get to surround myself with people so much more learned than myself. I get to laugh, and share, and grow with them. I walk into a room of intelligence daily. It’s refreshing.  I count myself blessed.

Do I have the most exciting job? No. The most challenging? No. How about fulfilling? Not even close. I don’t really enjoy my work. It’s… well, it’s beneath me, most days. I’m so much more than I what I do every day. Which can be a bit disheartening. But, why dwell on that?

Instead, as I see it, I get to go to a job I enjoy, surrounded by wonderful, caring people. I get to learn. I get paid to spend time with people I genuinely like, who teach me, who share with me, and who look after me. I get to travel into an amazing city, to do a job for which I’m well paid, and, quite frankly, I’m really very good at.  So, I’m very blessed.

When I first found out I was being considered for a position in the medical field, it was daunting. The learning curve is huge and my knowledge base was nil. BUT, I also loved the challenge. So, I looked into the people I’d be working for, researched the company, read articles on the principles in the organization, learned about the investors, and tried (feebly) to wrap my brain around what, precisely, the business did. Yes, I spent three days in this particular rabbit hole. At the end, I realized one thing – I know NOTHING about this world. So, that told me exactly what I needed to know – I needed to accept the job.

I research. I have to. Stagnancy is as bad for me as for water – it’s toxic. Maybe this is why I feel the overwhelming urge to move every few years? Just a thought.