Survivor: Outwit, Outplay, and Outlast
Posted: January 22, 2010 Filed under: EMS, Thoughts 4 Comments »
So, imagine my surprise when I sat down to watch a recorded episode of 60 Minutes, but due to a technical glitch (operator error!), I found myself watching an episode of Survivor. And like watching a terrible car wreck, I couldn’t stop. In fact, I watched it twice. Ok, ok – I watched it three times – and then I went on to watch the rest of the season.
One thing I’ve never understood is hazing. Why do we make the new people jump through hoops, prove their worth, and humiliate themselves in ways that have nothing to do with the tasks at hand? I understand that we want to test their mettle, but aren’t there better ways to do that, than to just have people perform silly tasks. Trial by fire can be a good thing, but seriously – let’s make every effort count.
Misfit No More
Posted: January 19, 2010 Filed under: EMS, Thoughts 5 Comments »
It would be easy to think that all of America’s heroes were born to be heroes. I wouldn’t blame you if you had that mindset. When I watch various TV shows, the stars are always attractive, smart, well-liked, and very personable. One would think that all lifeguards looked like models or were capable of gracing the pages of men’s magazines. It’s easy to get the impression that all firefighters are suave, sophisticated, and capable of leaping tall buildings with a single bound. I hate to be the first to pop that illusion, but having spent my whole life around these folks, I have to tell you something.
America’s heroes are ordinary people. The characters you see on TV are an amalgamation of some of the best qualities hundreds of men and women who serve in the trenches everyday. But held up to the microscope of public scrutiny, we all begin to look frail and pathetic. (But you already knew that, right?) Only a small percentage of our society can withstand that level of inspection – and most of them are professional celebrities – that’s what they do. It is their job to look good to and for the rest of us.
Not Good…
Posted: January 13, 2010 Filed under: Thoughts 3 Comments »
About four hours ago my head started to pound like it never has before. I’m a lifetime veteran of serious migraine headaches, I understand pounding headaches – this was different. It was the back of my head, pounding. In addition, I felt light headed and nauseous. I thought I might have a stroke if this kept up.
I checked my pulse rate: 50. Again, not a good sign. If I were a marathon runner, that would be good, but I’m not. I went into the other room where The Wife and Kids were just settling in to watch a video. I asked her to pause the video and I explained the above to her. At this point I was seriously thinking about calling 9-1-1. Jennifer asked me if I wanted to go to the Emergency Department? ”Yes.” She suggested we take my blood pressure – it was 202/111. This was a hypertensive emergency.
