One small nibble compared to one large bite
The saying holds true that nurses never really do take a day off. And just now, that was the case for me...
I was walking to Kroger to get some sushi for dinner. Prior to me leaving my hotel room, I could have sworn I heard something loud up in the distance, but didn't really think anything of it. I was heading out of the parking lot trying to get my phone to cooperate when I noticed there was a lot of traffic coming down the road in front of my hotel, which is sort of unusual. Then I heard a lot of voices. I walked up past a plaza next to my hotel and that's when I saw the two smashed cars and a small crowd of people standing around them. I had just slipped on some sandals and was still in my dress from church this morning, and there weren't any police or EMS around, so I did what I had to do and walked (actually lightly jogged) to the scene.
I could tell right from the get-go that it was a pretty messy accident. There was a guy standing in the road directing traffic, and I told him I was a nurse. He pointed me to one car where there was one woman driver in the driver's seat who wasn't harmed. The guy said two other nurses were with the other car where it looked like there were two injured passengers, so I didn't get in their way. Meanwhile, behind me, there was another victim of the crash who by the looks of it was likely intoxicated. To make matters worse, there were two younger guys who were spouting off and pretty angry of what was going on (naturally). Then, out of seemingly nowhere, I saw one of the younger guys practically wrestle this intoxicated individual to the ground (I didn't witness any sort of provocation) and yes, this younger guy was black. Went on to spout on that the intoxicated individual called him some not so appealing pleasantries that I will not repeat on here. Fortunately by then the cops showed up, handcuffed the intoxicated person and were talking to the younger guys and some younger lady that was with one of the guys. While the police showed up, these two younger guys were essentially trying to take matters into their own hands, so I and a few other folks told them to basically back off and let the police do their job. The younger black gentleman then turned to me and started yelling that this person called him this that and the other, to which my response was "hey man, I understand that, but let the police do their job now. We can't do anything further."
While that went on, I asked another lady what had happened, and she didn't know. Off behind me, I couldn't help but hear this black gentleman grow more verbally aggressive with the police officer and was asking the officer if "you're getting anyone else's information" and "If that were me you all would have thrown me into the ground." Folks, they're not making it about race. It was never about race. The only people that make it about race is those who actually want to do so. Even if you suggest it, it's STILL not about race. Having said that, my heart breaks for what is going on in lieu of the recent events that have taken place about 2 hours away from me in Charlottesville. It is wrong, it is not ok, it is bigotry, and it is a hate crime. Period, plain and simple. I don't in any way shape or form condone any of it, at all. But on the one hand, if I may share something that's been weighing on my mind on and off for some time now. Police officers, fire fighters, EMS workers, doctors, nurses, all of us; we are upheld by laws to at first do no harm and to faithfully and execute fairness and justice to all those we serve and care for. It is our duty, and for us, it's the law. I'm not saying I support the violence that has gone on amongst police officers in regards to taking innocent lives, but I do understand the pressure that comes with this line of work. And yes, I along many other people I work with have been called racist, mostly because one has felt victimized even though we had done no wrong act under the eyes of anyone else. What I'm trying to say is that we need to just listen to each other and get all the sides of the story instead of the side we just want to hear; I asked 3 or 4 people what happened in the accident today and got a different account from each person. At any given moment, we are only seeing through a very small lens. I apologize for any bluntness that may lie ahead, but I feel it's appropriate to share what I've been trained to do. Be patient with one another, isolate the person from the feelings, and if you can't do that with a level head, then please, do us all a favor and just keep your mouth shut.
As for my sushi, I still haven't eaten it yet.
I was walking to Kroger to get some sushi for dinner. Prior to me leaving my hotel room, I could have sworn I heard something loud up in the distance, but didn't really think anything of it. I was heading out of the parking lot trying to get my phone to cooperate when I noticed there was a lot of traffic coming down the road in front of my hotel, which is sort of unusual. Then I heard a lot of voices. I walked up past a plaza next to my hotel and that's when I saw the two smashed cars and a small crowd of people standing around them. I had just slipped on some sandals and was still in my dress from church this morning, and there weren't any police or EMS around, so I did what I had to do and walked (actually lightly jogged) to the scene.
I could tell right from the get-go that it was a pretty messy accident. There was a guy standing in the road directing traffic, and I told him I was a nurse. He pointed me to one car where there was one woman driver in the driver's seat who wasn't harmed. The guy said two other nurses were with the other car where it looked like there were two injured passengers, so I didn't get in their way. Meanwhile, behind me, there was another victim of the crash who by the looks of it was likely intoxicated. To make matters worse, there were two younger guys who were spouting off and pretty angry of what was going on (naturally). Then, out of seemingly nowhere, I saw one of the younger guys practically wrestle this intoxicated individual to the ground (I didn't witness any sort of provocation) and yes, this younger guy was black. Went on to spout on that the intoxicated individual called him some not so appealing pleasantries that I will not repeat on here. Fortunately by then the cops showed up, handcuffed the intoxicated person and were talking to the younger guys and some younger lady that was with one of the guys. While the police showed up, these two younger guys were essentially trying to take matters into their own hands, so I and a few other folks told them to basically back off and let the police do their job. The younger black gentleman then turned to me and started yelling that this person called him this that and the other, to which my response was "hey man, I understand that, but let the police do their job now. We can't do anything further."
While that went on, I asked another lady what had happened, and she didn't know. Off behind me, I couldn't help but hear this black gentleman grow more verbally aggressive with the police officer and was asking the officer if "you're getting anyone else's information" and "If that were me you all would have thrown me into the ground." Folks, they're not making it about race. It was never about race. The only people that make it about race is those who actually want to do so. Even if you suggest it, it's STILL not about race. Having said that, my heart breaks for what is going on in lieu of the recent events that have taken place about 2 hours away from me in Charlottesville. It is wrong, it is not ok, it is bigotry, and it is a hate crime. Period, plain and simple. I don't in any way shape or form condone any of it, at all. But on the one hand, if I may share something that's been weighing on my mind on and off for some time now. Police officers, fire fighters, EMS workers, doctors, nurses, all of us; we are upheld by laws to at first do no harm and to faithfully and execute fairness and justice to all those we serve and care for. It is our duty, and for us, it's the law. I'm not saying I support the violence that has gone on amongst police officers in regards to taking innocent lives, but I do understand the pressure that comes with this line of work. And yes, I along many other people I work with have been called racist, mostly because one has felt victimized even though we had done no wrong act under the eyes of anyone else. What I'm trying to say is that we need to just listen to each other and get all the sides of the story instead of the side we just want to hear; I asked 3 or 4 people what happened in the accident today and got a different account from each person. At any given moment, we are only seeing through a very small lens. I apologize for any bluntness that may lie ahead, but I feel it's appropriate to share what I've been trained to do. Be patient with one another, isolate the person from the feelings, and if you can't do that with a level head, then please, do us all a favor and just keep your mouth shut.
As for my sushi, I still haven't eaten it yet.
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