today was both disappointing and amusing.
my uncle is about to have a triple bypass and we need 15 blood donors. i mustered up the courage to go to the blood bank this morning to get my first blood extraction evahh (pls read this the way bretman rock says it). i’m pretty healthy so i was expecting to pass the health test. and i did. i was pretty proud of how my lifestyle could help save my uncle. but lo and behold, my veins were thinner than the needle for the extraction. i was so deflated. it took me about 2 days to gain the courage to face that needle man! i bugged my friends a lot, asking for prayers, messaging them my inner monologues etc. but hey, my veins said no.
i tried to laugh it off with my family but my pride found it difficult to accept my inadequacy to donate. “i could’ve gotten a tattoo all this time!?” i said. lol, as if. i’m too scared of needles. that incident sprouted anxiety it’s insane what our mind can do. stuff like, what if my dad needed the blood? or my sister? or my mom? i’d hate to be so useless. but it’s a sin to worry. so in prayer, i’m letting it all go. forgiving my self for how i am. how i was made. my “uselessness”.
i got so stressed after the rejection, i had to get a haircut—a post blood donation failure act. this time with a different stylist. different from the one who’s been cutting my hair all my life. and i’m happy i did it! my friend who came a long with me also got a haircut.
and here begins the amusing part of this blog/narrative/irresponsible online oversharing thing
while my friend was getting her hair done, an east asian looking guy with a pretty cool hairstyle came in with the warmest smile. we were conversing with the stylist—exchanging social media— when he seated himself next to us. we learned that he had the same stylist as my friend’s. so we chatted him a bit (the language barrier was real) and asked if he was on instagram. he said no because he was from china. we all laughed at our ignorance. then my friend asked him if our country was being mean to him. if it was a thumbs up or thumbs down living in our country. now, i don’t know if he was just being polite but we got a thumbs up.
i usually find it such a delight to interact with people from different cultures. it’s a conscious and constant effort not to typecast or stereotype cultures, but when you’re there interacting with that single person with an open mind, it’s amazing to see his/her individuality.
oh yeah, for the heck of it we took a photo together.
again, today was both disappointing and amusing.
ps i learned the importance if blood donating today. and how hard and humbling it is to actually ask people for blood. knowing that you can never repay that blood. to the people who donated to my uncle, and to those who were willing but can’t as well. thank you! we still need 13 bags. trusting that angels will come our way.
to those who are privileged to donate. you are so blessed. i wish i was eligible too. you have no idea, until you get to the receiving end, how noble it is to donate
