All the lights will start to shine

There is a pile of lightbulbs next to the lamp by my desk.
It’s a rescue, pulled from the clutches of a thrift store shelf.
Due to the curious shape of the shade,
I’ve yet to find a bulb willing to
Shake hands with its rusty edges
Incandescent, energy efficient, and candle flame shaped
Somehow nothing fits.

It reminds me how easy it is to feel like I’m throwing heaps of energy
At so many new fixtures in my life.
As I practice, air escapes under the bag valve masks.
Someone’s future lungs are trusting my hands to steady.
Unaccustomed to outfitting myself in shoes with heels and shirts with collars,
Getting to do all the things I’ve ached and dreamt for,
I wonder who’s letting me play dress up in their life.
As I take in all this new information,
My brain has yet to keep pace with my eyes,
Only managing to pant “slow down” instead of articulating
All the great ideas I’m sure must be hiding somewhere inside my skull.

But I think with patience, practice, and tries,
Words will catch, I’ll speak my mind,
Feet that stumbled will dance in time,
Air-thirsty lungs will breathe alive,
And all the lights will start to shine.

Carrie Bailes

I’m a lifelong South Carolina resident originally from Clover, SC.  In my undergraduate years I spent my days going to the beach and frequently tripping over cobblestones while attending the College of Charleston. I graduated in 2015 with a degree in Biology and Neurosciences and spent a year playing with rats in a neuroscience addiction lab at MUSC before continuing my education. I’m thrilled to continue my tour of the state in Greenville and am enjoying all the great spots to read outside here. I believe USCSOMG has an untouchable sense of community and dedication to patient care, and I’m so grateful and excited to be a part of the class of 2020!