Articles ~ Humbled by Reality

Allow me to say, there are times in our lives when a need relegates our culture, religion, education, bank account, and huge ideals to less relevant categories on what matters the most.

I recall a friend of mine who was involved in a serious accident and was hospitalized in one of the two main hospitals in Boise. Because he was of a different faith, I asked him if I could pray for him. I still see the hopeful face as he said, “Please do!” All he wanted at his hour of need was a higher power to intervene and help him, whether he knew about that higher power or not. It didn’t matter that he had not believed in that higher power until that moment.

When I reported to start my job at Idaho Power, I was taken to a men’s bathroom by another male employee, who stood behind me, waiting for me to provide him with my urine sample—a practice I considered culturally insensitive. After what seemed like eternity, we were both frustrated. I couldn’t just do it. I can’t recall what we did, but I was hired.

Four years later, I would stand my ground and honor my culture. The company had started a random drug testing policy—a good thing. I am not sure of the approach they used to get other employees randomly tested, but one day my boss casually asked me if I would be in my office at 10:30 am the following day. I confirmed I would. At exactly that time, a lady entered my office and asked me for my urine sample. My blood boiled and I can’t remember what I said—but it had something to do with respect for my Kamba people culture.

Fast forward to when I had my first total knee replacement. I found the tube they attach to help you urinate was not something I could endure. Hallucinating from the effects of a cocktail of pain killers and with a catheter that wasn’t working for me, all I needed was for that thing to be removed. As it turned out, the nurse on duty was a young lady I had known for a while, and any other time I would never allow her to see me in that manner, but it didn’t matter. My culture couldn’t help me.

That experience, being humbled by reality, has turned out to be an asset. Now colonoscopy tests, where I wake up to find that I am surrounded by several people—it doesn’t matter. My culture was not an issue to be considered when I had my second knee replacement. That also applies to the annual physical checkup where the doctor tells me to turn around for him to check for early signs of some form of cancer.

We all have personal sensitivities, but as uncomfortable as some things are, sometimes it is important to put them aside because at the end, what matters in our health and safety.