Full circle

I just spent the past hour teaching a clinical case session to a group of 1st year medical students. I must say, I felt rather strange sitting there with all eyes upon me -- the supposedly knowledgeable one -- while trying to engage my tired brain. I also learned a couple of important things. Importantly, one should never have contempt for a teacher in front of a group who demonstrates a brief stint of pure idiocy. When not under scrutiny, the brain often undergoes subtle lapses of concentration that can be circumvented entirely by a deep breath and a deliberate closure of the eyes; however, when an entire audience clings with tenuous attention to your words, somehow the gravity of the situation can stretch out those concentration lapses like taffy on a warm summer day -- and soon the sticky mess adheres to every thought until fluid communication becomes impossible. Teaching is hard.

Also of note, withold your snickers and derisive glances when a teacher displays with every raise of the arm a massive, ignominious armpit stain. For some reason, the armpits serve as the barometer of public speaking; when I am in public, my armpits don't sweat, and when I am speaking, my armpits don't sweat, but whenever I speak publicly, the sweat glands dump their salty product all over my clothes. I didn't realize this fact until I got to med school, but now I feel ashamed for every having made fun of my high school english teacher's huge pit stains.

Well, time now for a journey to the health club for an hour on the stationary bike. You wanna see sweat? I'll show you sweat.