Okashira Diary | Kaeko Yamashita (Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care)
2008.02.28
One of my small pleasures is organizing my bookshelves and materials. I have never really thought about why I enjoy it, but I have come to realize it may be for the following reasons.
One reason is that unlike the true results of education, which often take five to ten years to become apparent, organizing bookshelves and documents provides immediate results for the effort invested. What was once cluttered becomes neat at a glance, giving a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of "It's tidy, well done." Sometimes, the opposite is also true. In the middle of organizing, I might come across forgotten literature or materials, and things that were latent in the far reaches of my memory are instantly revived. When I think, "I'll use this as an introduction for my next class," a new search and classification of materials begins. The chaotic world on my desk and bookshelves expands even further, and I find myself swimming through it, left and right. However, this "swimming" is also a pleasure.
Another pleasure is how materials I pick up while preparing to go home from my university office, notebooks hidden between books I took out intending to "read at home," or memos tucked inside a book I happen to open can instantly transport me to "past events." Muttering to myself, "I don't have time for this..." I find myself settling comfortably into my chair, becoming engrossed in reading the materials and memos, and losing all track of time.
Let me share a recent episode. It was when I rediscovered a bundle of farewell messages from former students. Most are easy to read, but some have faded with time and become difficult to decipher. When that happens, my heart is set on reading them. I will tilt them, hold them closer to the light, or peer at them with a magnifying glass, relying on the pen pressure and recalling various things about that student as I desperately try to figure out what they were trying to convey.
During my very first practicum, when I was anxious and nervous, the two of you instructors were a real lifesaver... In conferences, your guidance helped me express many of my feelings, and I feel I was able to grow because of it.
Thank you so much for everything during the practicum. It was especially helpful to have you there when I was having a hard time with a patient. The sterile gauze you gave me is a treasure (lol)...
Whenever I went to your office, you always gave me a warm welcome, and I always felt so comfortable there. Your stories always led to new discoveries and were so much fun...
During the project, I loved it when you would say, "Shall we have some tea?"...
The practicum had its tough moments, but I learned so much. I will be sure to master "scientific evidence"...
I also want to become a generous nurse who can always put patients first.
Please stay as beautiful as you are forever (lol).
And so on.
These words from my students sometimes comfort me, sometimes force me to reflect sternly, and sometimes present me with difficult challenges. But above all, organizing materials and bookshelves has become one of my small pleasures because it gives me a chance to feel the great growth of students from both the distant and recent past.
(Date Published: 2008/02/28)