Timmy and Jimmy

I drove up to Purdue on Friday for the first ever Purdue Timmy Foundation banquet. I went up a little early to see a couple people I hadn't seen in a while, which was a nice bonus. Also, this just illustrates how surprisingly flexible med school is, schedule-wise. I was impressed at how well thought-out the banquet was, and the overall flow was very smooth. I'm so proud of this year's officers. They indicated that it would have been much more difficult to pull off the banquet if I hadn't created a new officer position and reorganized the leadership structure last year, which made me feel pretty good. Under different circumstances, it could have been a really risky move what I did, shaking up and restructure officer duties right before I left. In all honestly, the fact that it worked out was probably more due to their efforts as current officers. You can create all the leadership positions you want, but it doesn't amount to much without the right people serving those roles. I was impressed at how they all developed their individual roles so well this past year.

The "pre-banquet" entertainment consisted of a string quartet composed of fellow students. The dinner was buffet-style with catering by the Purdue Union, which I've actually missed. In fact, I even miss Purdue's dorm food. Purdue food in general is pretty good, I think. Another example I can think of is the restaurant in Stone Hall, which is run by hospitality and tourism management students. I once had pheasant there. I think the best part about Union catering is usually the dessert. They never disappoint, and they didn't this time, with tiramisu. Not exactly something I have everyday. But I wonder if I would like tiramisu as much if I actually did have it everyday....... um, yes.

After dinner, I had the honor of giving a little speech to talk about my own experiences and to introduce Dr. Chuck. It wasn't one of my greatest speech-giving moments since it was mostly extemporaneous, although I did have some speaking points written on a tiny Post-it note. At least it was a good learning experience. Dr. Chuck was inspirational as always. There was a silent auction on the side with a large assortment of items, including a flat-screen TV, signed Purdue footballs, photographs, and the like.

Since I'm writing this post retroactively, I can proudly say that the Purdue Timmies ultimately reached their goal of raising $4500 for a new hospital that is being built in Quito, Ecuador. That amount of money can pay for the construction of a 2-bed room. Compare that to about $1M per bed in a U.S. hospital (according to multiple sources).

As fate would have it, I learned from my Timmy friends that the funeral for James T. was going to be held on Saturday. James was a friend of mine who had passed away earlier in the week. His funeral was originally going to be Thursday, which I couldn't make. I didn't realize they had moved it, due to his parents being unable to fly in soon enough from Dubai. I'm glad I was able to go to say goodbye. The funeral was especially tough because I had never been to one before, but I don't imagine they get much easier. James was a pretty private person, but he was always about putting others above himself, and it showed in how much time he dedicated to service activities. He always had a smile on his face, and I can't say I ever heard him utter a bad word about anything or anyone. I think it goes without saying that a lot of people loved him. It was nice that I was able to see so many people I hadn't seen in a long time. I knew James through Alpha Phi Omega and Boiler Gold Rush from my first two years at Purdue, but I dropped them after science student council and Timmy starting taking up more time. Therefore, many of the people I saw at the funeral were people who, 3-4 years ago, I used to see on a constant basis. All those familiar faces reminded me of how our relationships with people can be so strong but tenuous at the same time. There were people I could hug like no time had come between us, but I couldn't help but wish we had more holding us together than tears and faded memories.