by Sara Parsons
Sara Parsons
By the time you are reading this, I will officially be an alumnus of Life Chiropractic College West. Even as I sit here at my cluttered desk in my tiny room typing away on my trusty laptop, it is nearly unfathomable that this chapter of my life is coming to an end.
I was sitting in the student lounge today (week 9 of last quarter) waiting to see my intern in the new and improved downstairs, air conditioned, fully oxygenated student clinic reminiscing of my first quarter here on campus. I realized with a sudden pain of sadness that a lot of you never experienced it as the central hub it once was, buzzing with the spirit of community only possible when people who are fired up about life and the endless possibilities of serving humanity come together and let their guards down. Like family members getting together for the holidays.
In my mind’s eye, a whole quarter of students crammed the main dinner table as they also crammed for an exam, a musical genius sat in the community wooden chair tuning the community wooden guitar getting ready to bless the room with their joy for strumming the old 6-string while singing slightly off key, and lines snaked through the room out both doors as eager students waited to warm up their lunches and rush off to two of the five clubs they belong to because they’re both on the same day. I smile as I remember the beautifully conducted hecticness of it all, and hope those of you who entered school since the lockdown will experience that before your time here is over.
“…I feel like I was put in a pressure cooker…set on high, and in less than 5 cooking minutes came out of the Instant PotTM a fully cooked doctorate of Chiropractic, ready to serve the world.”
They said it would fly by and before I knew it, it’d be over. They were right. They were also so, so wrong. They were right in the sense that I feel like I was put in a pressure cooker seasoned with neurology, physiology, anatomy, public health, research, conferences, clubs, HIPPIRONEL but don’t make it weird, infectious disease, pathology, wait what’s Differential Diagnosis and why are there 80 people in my class, philosophy, business, blood labs, metabolic labs, urine labs, labs labs labs, set on high, and in less than 5 cooking minutes came out of the Instat PotTM a fully cooked doctorate of chiropractic, ready to serve the world.
And that’s why they were wrong. I’ve been cooked and my time roaming these halls aimlessly between tasks is over. AND the knowledge, skills, and uncountable life lessons I have learned in this high-pressure ever-changing environment will continue to help me build meaningful relationships and have an impact in the lives of those I serve. I have learned how to better communicate my thoughts and feelings, something I’ve always been terrible at. I have learned that the more you do the more you can do (shout out Dr. Bev Scott, you genius). I have learned that we are never alone, and we also can’t do it alone. I have learned grace and forgiveness, patience and the stillness in actually listening, when to say yes with joyful enthusiasm and when to say no without regret. In essence, Life West has taught me how to love my community, and how to love myself.
“The more you do, the more you can do.”
– Dr. Bev Scott –
I had a coach that once said to me “If you take care of the game, it will take care of you.” I promise you that if you put in the work, do the little things, be disciplined and at times spontaneous, this sacred always-seeming-to-be-breaking-down old-warehouse-turned-institute-of-higher-learning will provide everything you need during your time here. Because it’s not the building, it’s not the equipment, it’s not even Sid square with the light shining through the ceiling bouncing off the green palms brightening our drabby days. It’s the people that belong to our family that create the buzz and lift our spirits when we’re down. It’s our Life West community, as gripey as we sometimes may be, that loves and supports each other as we try at all levels to help each other become not only The Best Chiropractors, but The Best Humans that we can be.
Always remember to Give, Do, Love and Serve from Abundance. And Go Life West!
Chiropractically yours and signing off,
-Sara