I’m Aric With An A

And I’m here to tell ya…

My mom changed my name from Eric to Aric several days after coming home from the hospital. I used to be as unique as this quetzal. Now you can find quite a few of us Arics.

I have been writing in medical charts daily for the past ten years. With all that typing during the day on top of years of data entry clerical work in my previous career, I suffered from a bit of ulnar neuropathy (like carpal tunnel but different).

My eyes also bothered me with all the screen time. And I didn’t have much energy left at the end of the day. So, I put aside my creative writing for several years.

I engaged in other left brain pursuits and kept my artistic side nourished. I took up singing in a men’s barbershop chorus for several years. I spent a great many hours learning to play bluegrass music on the banjo too.

One day in late December, I sat that instrument down on its stand and let my subscription to ArtistWorks lapse. I was a bit fatigued. I found myself walking a line between stimulating my left brain, and causing myself excessive frustration.

Even though I’ve made some strides on the banjo, I’m just not an innately talented musician. Music simply does not come naturally for me. Despite hours learning, trying to play better and level up, I wasn’t achieving a flow of musical ideas. The mechanics were always in the way.

I realized that I am ok with being a fan of music, and maybe dawdling with an instrument here and there. So what to do next?

I decided to apply myself to writing again. I had experienced more flow and satisfaction, as well as more successes with my writing.

The question became — ok, I’ve got good mechanics, I’ve got stuff to say, but where do I put it?

I am so happy to rediscover Medium. My account history tells me that I first archived a story on Medium in October, 2015. I was toying with the idea of NaNoWriMo and doing research on how to write with more regularity. I haven’t returned here until recently.

I kept a diary starting at age 7. Writing is a great love. Before I entered my health career, I considered academia, or applying to Iowa for an MFA. In that period of directionless pontificating, I started volunteering with a hospice.

That was a lightbulb moment. How could I spend more time helping people who are terminally ill? Only through the vision, extensive help and constant reassurance of my girlfriend (more on her below). Because of her, I conquered my fear of math and science. I pursued an MSN and became an advanced practice nurse.

So what else can I tell you? My writing will be influenced by my life experience. Here is a recap:

I went to acting school after high school and got an AA. I followed the Grateful Dead for a few years. I sold everything and traveled for 22 months in Asia and Australia when I was 24.

I worked in the entertainment industry for most of the 90s, calculating residuals for Sony Pictures. Then I went back to school and earned degrees in English and Rhetoric, and eventually studied nursing.

Along the way, I’ve been fortunate to receive encouragement and guidance on my writing. Starting with grade school teachers, then AP English high school teachers, and professors in junior college and universities. Now I learn from all of you!

I also need to acknowledge two superstar mentors:

While pursuing my BA in English, I was selected to participate in the last cohort of Maxine Hong Kingston’s narrative nonfiction writing course at UC Berkeley in 2002. She was a treasure trove of wisdom, kind critique, and a master of fine tuning a piece writing.

In 2007, I was a novice oncology nurse at New York Presbyterian Hospital. There isn’t any good preparation for that sort of work. I was seeking emotional support and got directed to a sort of group therapy, where healthcare professionals share and emote through personal writings and prompts. This is where I met Rita Charon — creator of Narrative Medicine Rounds.

That experience changed my world. She provided not only an outlet to cope with my emotions, but also a way to honor the courage of the patients and families I served. Dr. Charon’s feedback made me a more astute, authentic writer, and I became a much better caregiver in the process.

At Cal I met Klaudia, who is the love of my life. Somehow I convinced this amazing, stunningly beautiful and exceptionally intelligent woman to marry me in 2010. Here we are near our home in north county San Diego:

She inspired me to expand and reach new heights. We continue to evolve together — and my first piece was a reverie about us:

Then I got a bit heady and dark with an examination of politics, climate change and Earth Day using the lens of dystopic literature (with a twist of hope):

I created a short dialogue with a nod to the absurd:

Thank you for reading about me. I am thrilled to find the community created by Dr. Y and Illumination. I look forward to contributing my words for further fusion and synergy.