copacetic (kōpəˈsedik) adjective 1. in excellent order.
This has to be one of my all-time favorite words. Probably because it’s tied to one of my favorite songs, but also because of the meaning and how it sounds.
When is ANYTHING ever in perfect order? Okay maybe things like filing cabinets, the Dewey Decimal System, etc., but what about in life? Is life ever in “perfect order?” If it is for you, well then congrats. For most of us, life is trying to take things day by day because there are simply “not enough hours in a day.” However, what if we really took the time to enjoy, cherish, succeed, work hard, and prosper during those hours? Well even if you do, I don’t think everything will still be in perfect order. There are simply things we cannot control, and I think that’s a huge part of life, especially in optometry or any grad/med school. We cannot control everything. We cannot control what happens during a proficiency, an exam, for dinner, other people, etc. We can study, work hard, put in the hours, make that yummy food, and do our best to be kind to those around us, but things will always come up. Life has a funny way of giving you exactly what you need at the right time, even amongst the mess, craziness, business, and allll of those extra plans you didn’t get done yet.
This year, I’m still learning to take the time to relax. I’m still learning to focus on my best, because even though we’re all adults here, I’ll be blatantly honest, there are still people that love to toot their own horn. I’m a firm believer in humility goes a long way, and I think grad school is a humbling experience for everyone, but not everyone let’s you know that. This all leads me back to copacetic. Does everyone truly feel like their school life, social life, health, etc. are in perfect order? I’m going to go with no. Will people make you feel like they have it all together- absolutely. But let me let you in on a secret, life is perfect for no one. So block out the people who only share their success and not their struggles or failures. I think everyone comes across that sometimes, but the best moments are when you struggle together, and help one another become better clinicians, better learners, better teachers, etc.. I’m blessed to still be getting to know the people that are working to be better. Sixty-seven students [I believe] are in my class. Sixty-seven people from all different walks of life with dreams to become optometrists, and here we are, growing together. So let’s keep growing, working, learning, succeeding, struggling, and all the things in between.
I’m proud to be a buckeye. Our program is rigorous. It’s no wonder our lives are not copacetic. School is hard. If it was easy, everyone would do it. I’m blessed to be where I am today, and when I look back at the journey, it’s amazing to look at the progress of not just myself, but my peers. Take a look around, acknowledge the people that have been working super hard. Congratulate someone on a job well done with a proficiency skill or a new skill learned. Our class is family, and families lift one another up. So let’s keep pushing, lifting, and strengthening each other because I’m proud to stand among my peers who I know will make amazing clinicians one day.
Optometry is an intense profession, and anyone who tells you otherwise… well they’re crazy. So while everything may not always be copacetic because of the craziness of opt school, it’s always a beautiful day to save eyes and lives [as Dr. Shepard once said in Grey’s Anatomy].
