Oh spring!!!!  Birds tweeting, the smell of freshly mown grass, my hands in the dirt, gas powered leaf blowers and generator powered power washers.  When did a spring afternoon become the perfect time to pollute the neighborhood with noise?  I cringe whenever I see someone using a leaf blower.  How hard is it to pick up a rake? 

After viewing one of the youtube video assignments, I thought about finding a quiet place to think - to intellectulize (I think that's how he spelled it?).  My couch looked like the perfect spot...I"ll just place a pillow here with a light blanket...perfect.  Then came the noise!  I was immediately angered!  My heart sped up, thoughts swirling in my brain...How dare they!   Interrupt my thinking time! 

When the new tower was built for our hospital, our nursing manager (the top one) fought for each unit to have a "Zen Den" - a place to sit and think.  This was such a thoughtful gift to the floor staff.  The rooms are on either side of the tower, one with a beautiful Mt Baker view, the other viewing Mt Rainier.  The rooms are meant to be stark - two chairs, a floor lamp, a simple painting on the wall.  Phones, work, conversation is to be left at the door.  Beautiful.

After being open for one year, the Zen Dens are now places where you can pick up paper supplies, the census for the day, you can find a stapler in there.  Any information posters, fall stats - yep - posted in the Zen Den. 

I have talked with the manager about the state of the Den's and she has agreed with me - this was not the intent - but so far no changes.  I am going to continue working on getting these back.  Now I have some new ammo - we need a thinking space free of clutter.  Not only will this help the individual nurse, but further our practice, the art of nursing.

Back to the power washer.....two and one half hours of noise!  If I had my fierce conversation skills down I would have walked across the street, pulled out the power cord and conversed.  Instead I just steamed and stewed!  I can't change the world.....