I have taken statins for years, and that means getting periodic blood tests to make sure the meds are not affecting my liver. And regular blood tests mean regular encounters with phlebotomists. I have great admiration for phlebotomists. They can do what many doctors and even nurses cannot do, and that is, get the needle into a reclusive vein. Where a medical practice did not have a phlebotomist present, I have, more than once, been sent to get my blood drawn at a lab.
Phlebotomists do a wonderful job. Despite this, I found out that the other medical staff many times would refer to their phlebotomist as the “vampire.” One day, in a moment of what I felt was inspiration, I told the lady that she was not a vampire but a “vein whisper.” She loved the idea. I used this several times to cheer various phlebotomists.Recently, though, I told the lady piercing my vein that she was a vein whisperer. “Oh, I have heard that before,” she said. I was surprised. Later I went online and found that there were lots of places where phlebotomists could order t-shirts emblazoned proudly with “vein whisperer.”
Did this mean that my moment of inspiration had gone viral? Perhaps. What a nice thought! However it is quite possible that someone else also came up with the phrase. Or, perhaps I had heard the phrase myself, forgotten about it, and then came up with the idea, thinking that it had originated with me. There is no way of really telling, I suppose. One thing that can be said, though, and it is something important to acknowledge, is that we do not think in isolation from others.
We are surrounded by the thoughts, the ideas, the feelings, of others. These things influence us in ways we know not how. We may have original thoughts, but they arise amidst a myriad of connections with others. We are not alone, but part of humanity, part of a far greater whole.