One thing we like to do at Human Diaries is interview and showcase some of our readers/contributors. Here is one such interview, about a single mother who is enjoying the rewards of her struggles and accomplishments!
Q: Hi Monet, Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: My name is Monet Jeanette Gedzah and I am an almost (wink….March 7th is my birthday) 40 year old single mother of 4 of the most beautiful, intelligent, grounded, humorous, witty, thoughtful, loving future leaders in the world. I am also an African-American Jewish woman living in western Pa. My children range in age Phoebe 17, Lena 14, Maxwell 10 and William 2. I always wanted to be a mother and I got my wish in spades.
I was blessed and fortunate to be raised by divorced parents because I was lavished with unconditional love and what child wouldn’t want that!!! I am the youngest of 4 by my mother and the only by my father. So I had the best of both worlds but I was raised never to take advantage of time or another human being because both are precious. Being raised with this private “Holy Grail” and lessons on life, I walk with a child-like smile and curiosity that is often questioned by strangers. I find that to people who are lovers of life I am exciting and wonderful, and to the negative few I am a fraud and delusional…so you can image I couldn’t care less about the latter because I have no time for that. I will end this by saying to know me is to whole heartedly love me!!
Q: How long have you been working on getting your Nursing degree and what inspired you to do it?
A: Well, my mother is a nurse. My mother is also a very compassionate woman whom I have the fortune of watching care for her patients at her various places of work. However, her superior level of compassion in her personal life is what drove me to always do well and live my personal life with the mantra, “the glass is not half full; it has enough room so that if you hit a rough spot it has space not to spill.”(Arlevia J. Jackson Johnson) My mother, like all good nurses, had a plethora of band aides, gauze, hospital tape and gloves at home. This allowed me to be the resident nurse on our block by the age of 6 in West Philadelphia. I bandaged everyone from the neighborhood kids to the family pets.
Unfortunately, I did not pursue nursing after high school because of my deep hatred for higher education. This hatred stemmed from the labeling of special education in grade school all the way up through to high school. I was dyslexic and my high school told me college was not an option and trade school was the only option. Needless to say, I floundered for years until in 2002 I obtained my C.N.A certified nursing assistant certificate and realized I needed to further my education but I needed a push.
In 2005 I was very content in my role as a very compassionate C.N.A and spending time with my patients and loving them and talking to them until one day I was told I was a (blanking) idiot. I asked why and I was told I should be running this place. I was told that one class a semester would not kill me and the world needed a real caring loving nurse like me.
I made every excuse as to why I shouldn’t start but ultimately I walked onto the campus of the Community College of Philadelphia and was given the greatest course plan known to man. I was asked first how I viewed myself, and I thought viewing myself as a student first was what they were looking for and I answered my very first question wrong. I was told I am a mother first and that was the foundation for prioritizing my life. I was told to pick my classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting after the kids went to school and have them end before the children get out of school. The rational behind that was because most holidays take place on Mondays and usually Fridays are early dismissals. Finally I was told that Wednesdays are strictly for study and to use them wisely. I kept that schedule for two years and it afforded me the ability not to look for the finish line but to enjoy the journey.
So, I have been on this journey of pursuing my nursing degree since I was 6 but actively since 2006……8 years. Oh, the turns and ups and downs and strong desire not to quit and the thrill of determination were exhilarating. Being an adult with children was insane but I held on to what CCP taught me and loved my kids and not the dishes, I got muddy and looked forward to one more semester down. Being done is bittersweet, because the next mountain looks ridiculously impossible and I have created it all on my own.
Q: Do you enjoy it?
A: I haven’t had the opportunity to practice because I am still studying for my NCLEX. The NCLEX is the test nurses take to be registered with the state. I have my degree; I just need to get registered. That registration is what makes a graduate nurse an RN.
Q: What are your strength and weaknesses?
A: I love to daydream (weakness) but when I feel as though I have a job to do I complete it and I don’t quit.
Q: Are you satisfied with what you have accomplished thus far?
A: Yes but I have so much more to DOOOOO!!!! I want to change the world and lavish it with my brand of care!!!
Q: Now that you got your nursing degree, what’s next for you?
A: Obviously, to work in critical care and then beyond.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
A: Owning my own corporation.
Q: Were you offered a job opportunity yet?
A: No, only because I am in a depressed area and I need to get back to Philadelphia.
Q: Could you please tell us about your hobbies and interests?
A: I love to vacation, but getting to know people is my greatest interest. I love to make people smile and I love to make them feel comfortable, and caring for them is my greatest joy!!!
Q: What do you think of HumanDiaries.com?
A: Thank you for the opportunity to tell my story and I look forward to reading others!!
