How Am I Doing So Far?

This week was my first week of call since I wrote my post about how to not hate call so much.  (I've been on call for 21 of the past 42 days.  Too much call.)  As the week approached, I tried very hard to say no to anything but the most essential of activities.  I deferred dinner with a friend until next week.  I said no to doing anything with my Mom.  I was ruthless with turning people down.

And then the week arrived.

Monday night a group of medical school friends whom I only see a few times a year were getting together for dinner, and I couldn't say no.

Tuesday night my girlfriend's parents invited us over for a birthday dinner.

Wednesday night a friend was visiting from Egypt and wanted to meet for dinner.

Thursday night we decided to go see a new house that had just come onto the market.

Friday night was trivia night at my girlfriend's church.  And I love trivia.

Over the weekend, we have seen three more houses, gone out for breakfast twice, gone for an impromptu coffee with my Mom and brother, watched my niece in a volleyball tournament, shopped at two craft markets, seen Romeo Dallaire speak, and gone for another birthday dinner with my girlfriend's friends*.

I apparently am incapable of just saying no to anything.  If it sound remotely interesting, and especially if it involves food, I am there.  Regardless of how tired or extroverted out I may happen to be.  Regardless of how much I need to just be quiet and still after the stress of a call week.  Regardless of what I say in my blog posts.

And yet...somehow this week worked for me.  I gave myself the option of saying no to things, but when it came time to exercise that option, I never wanted to.  I got to do a lot of fun and interesting things with people whom I love over the course of the week, and it felt pretty good.  I'm not quite sure why it was okay this time when it wasn't the last time I was on call, but somehow it was.  Maybe it was knowing that I could say no to things without guilt?  Maybe it was only being on call for one week and knowing that I would have a long stretch of recovery afterwards?

I haven't the foggiest clue, but I'm very glad it did.  And I'm hoping that it will continue to do so when the next stretch of call comes around.