For The Love of Self, Get Yourself Checked Out
For my thirtieth birthday, I got myself two ties, a blue cardigan, a metallic grey collared shirt, and an appointment for a general doctor.
The latter item didn’t come so easy, either. The last time I went to the doctor, it was because I had a serious heart scare that turned out to be nothing … but stress, and too much of it. The minute that doctor told me to calm down, the tightness I felt in my chest for the better part of eight months just stopped. Cold.
People wonder why teachers get the benefits they do, including the personal health days, affordable health care, and relatively early retirement. Before 30, I took many of these parts for granted. I accumulated over 30 days of unused vacation days, often stayed after school, and rarely used any of my medical benefits for prescriptions. I thought popping a vitamin and getting in the occasional exercise would do. I pumped over the counter drugs into
