Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Posted
It's 2:46am. I am sitting in an ambulance in the dark parking lot of a closed grocery store. My partner is snoring, and I have a headache. I'm also sick and taking antibiotics that
make my stomach hurt. I start wondering why on earth I chose this career.
Then a neighboring district gets the call for the baby that's not breathing. The mom is doing CPR. The ambulance crew and the fire department and the police are all getting there as fast as they can. I want to go. I want to help. My heart goes out to the poor mother. It also goes out to the responders. I know what this looks like. I've done it before.
And then I remember why I'm sitting in an ambulance at 2:46am. It's because when someone needs help, I want to be there for them.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
YOU are wonderful. I hope it's someone just like YOU who comes to someone in my family - if and when that call ever comes in.
ReplyDeleteExactly!
ReplyDeleteI did this work for twenty years with my local volunteer ambulance crew. Twenty years of missing Thanksgiving dinner, leaving my kids with short notice babysitters, getting up at 2 or 3 or 4 in the morning. Occasionally someone said thank you. Mostly we just knew we'd done good. Sometimes the calls ended sadly. But there was always a strong connection to the community and a feeling that we were involved with something that really mattered. My daughter is now a paramedic and is currently back at school taking the advanced level. Thanks to you and her for carrying on the work of saving lives, or of just making lives less painful and happier.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post. I just happened upon it. Thanks to all who serve, in whatever capacity it is. Service makes communities close.
ReplyDeleteJanet, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, God bless you, I live in Costa Rica, saludos y Pura Vida
ReplyDelete. I hope it's someone just like YOU who comes to someone in my family - if and when that call ever comes in.
ReplyDeleteFunny Pictures