Who was She?

Just a short time before I capped off my nursing career in the year 2000, I had the sweet pleasure of working with a fresh-faced young graduate named Susan. Sue, as she was called, had a positive attitude, and an alert and bright mind, but most appealing to me was her friendly approach to people and her ability to problem-solve. I have always admired people who can take a different angle, work it through and come up with a solution to a seemingly unsolvable issue. Such is the type Sue was, always solving little problems, and I knew someday, I just knew, she would be a big problem solver. It would come with experience.

Sue was the same age as my daughter, so we certainly had an age difference, but it didn't seem to matter. Nursing was our common ground, and we worked so well together. Naturally, I always enjoyed shocking her with some bizarre story and seeing her blush.

On a particularly hectic day, I made my usual remark that "I'd like to have Florence Nightingale by the ears today for starting this nursing racket!" Sue looked at me over the mound of paperwork we were wading through and asked so calmly, "Who was she?"

"Well, she, my dear, is the woman who started all this nursing stuff, the Crimean War, soldiers dying, aseptic technique and all that, you know!" I answered without looking up, knowing I would laugh.

A period of silence followed, no further comment from Sue. I looked up to see her lost in thought, trying to figure this Florence Nightingale thing out, and running questions through her mind. She caught me studying her, and she turned toward me and asked a question that made the whole staff collapse with laughter.

"Well," said Sue, "Where did she graduate from?"

That did it! Oh, me nerves!

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