"What Teachers Make"

This is why I teach.

--CW

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody

"This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job. Everybody though that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done."--Anonymous

There's been a huge shift in mentality in this country in the past few decades. Vague, I know, but it's true in an ungodly amount of contexts; attitudes about sex, marriage, adulthood, responsibility, accountability, parenting, education, politics, and civic involvement have all changed drastically since my parent's generation. While the shift in many of the attitudes I have just listed deeply concern me and make me frightened for the world that my generation will inherit and be responsible for living in and attempting to fix, I'd like to spend a bit of time discussing the last one that I mentioned, civic involvement, including attitudes towards community, volunteering and citizenship.

This change in attitudes about civic responsibility is something that I've been thinking about for awhile--for a lot of reasons. It is something I've been discussing a lot with my fellow volunteer EMTs in the context of the rescue squad, and this idea has also been consistently resurfacing in discussions with my social studies education cohort as we've been talking a lot about the responsibilities that social studies teachers have to their students, including fostering a notion of civic responsibility and citizenship.

There is a radically different approach taken to volunteering within and for one's community in today's world of instant gratification and looking out for the top dog than there was even ten to fifteen years ago. Growing up, I was regaled with stories of the tight-knit community that my mom grew up in the mid-20th century Midwest. It was a place where friends and neighbors served one another in a capacity unfathomable to many small towns today. I was raised on my maternal grandfather's reminiscences about the civic capacities he served in, and the pride that he derived from not only serving his local community, but also his country as a military man. I was raised by parents who understood what it meant to serve as they volunteered much of their time in the schools, as coaches and as church leaders. Growing up, I never lacked role models of citizenship and commitment to the community, and I think that foundation of support is what continues to drive me today in my dedication to public and civic service. I am lucky in that regard.

Unfortunately, people like my parents and grandparents are fading in numbers. While they are people who understand that doing what is right can be satisfying in spite of the hard work and thanklessness that  community service often demands, they are largely outnumbered by people who expect (and often demand) such time consuming and passionate dedication for nothing in return. Today, we live in a culture that has socialized us to expect instant results, instant pleasure, and minimal effort when we do something. Just think about the smart phone revolution in the past few years. Never has been accessing information and entertainment been as rapid and effortless as it is in our technologically driven society.  However, volunteering in and for a community does not always offer such immediate rewards for such little input, and I feel like I can accurately say this drawing largely on  my experience as an EMT.

As an EMT, I am required to run a duty crew once a week for 12 hours. When it is my duty night, there are roughly 1000 individuals relying on me to fulfill my commitment to the community. Running for such a small-town service, if I fail to show up for my shift then we may not get a truck out of the building that night. There are few acceptable reasons for me to miss my shift, and if I do it's my responsibility to find coverage. For my actions, I am held accountable. Not every night in EMS is glamorous though, and there are nights where running duty conflicts with some other interest of mine or is an inconvenience at best. Some nights I show up and we don't turn a single wheel. Some nights I arrive at the station planning on (and needing to) complete several homework assignments or tasks, and we proceed to run all night. Every once in awhile I may run a call that taxes my patient assessment skills and ability to triage and treat; more likely than not I will spend a call addressing the feeling poorlies or "take me to the hospital because I said so." It is in this capacity that I serve my community, and I serve it proudly--regardless of the situation.

However, the town where I run is not the area in which I was born or raised. In fact, it is a community in which I am a transplant whom for some reason has become attached to the people and the way of life in this sleepy little town. I have chosen to make this little town my community-- and in tradition with the values upon which I was raised, my responsibility. There are many like me whom have stumbled across this community and have found a place to serve and call their own. Yet the dwindling numbers of native volunteers baffles me when I see so many transplants ready and willing to serve this area. When the rescue squad first came into existence, it's membership was comprised of a thriving group of individuals and families that were directly served and benefitted by the rescue squad. It was public service staffed by and for the community it called home.

But in recent years, membership has dwindled. In reality, there are about 25 individuals who run all of the calls at our service and about half of them commute into our little town once a week for their duty shift. New members are recruits that aren't residents of the town; they come from neighboring cities and towns, attracted by the pace of calls and type of patient care a rural, small town service offers. For a community that often prides itself on taking care of its own, there are very few residents that see volunteering for places like the fire department and the rescue squad as a worthwhile means of living out that pride. There are many that talk the talk, but few that walk the walk, so to speak. The responsibility is consistently passed down the line, thinking "How wonderful it is to serve (insert person X/place Y), but it's not my responsibility. Someone else will take care of it."

And that unaccountable attitude is more pervasive than I feel comfortable admitting. Not only do I see it in the town where I run EMS, but I see it in the classrooms I teach in as well. The other day I was discussing hot topic current events with a student in the government class I work with. When I asked them if there were any specific policy issues that they cared about, they replied, "Care? Why should I care? It's not like I can vote or do anything about it? I'm not even of age." When I pointed out that come the next election year, these would be issues that would concern them as they would be able to vote, they replied "It's not my responsibility to change anything. My vote doesn't even count in the grand scheme of things. I'll just let everyone figure out what to do about it all. There are people smarter than me out that can care." This is not the first conversation that I have had that echo such sentiments; even over a matter as simple as voting, there is that same widespread sense of passing along the responsibility to another. Yet the line eventually runs out and the duty cannot be passed on anymore; someone is eventually held responsible, and, thus, accountable.

And at that point, voluntary service becomes a duty. In fact, maybe that's the way it's supposed to be; that we all have a duty to serve our community in some capacity. Maybe it's this understanding of citizenship and service that has gotten lost over the past few decades. Maybe we've been passing the buck for too long that the notion of responsibility has gotten lost in the shuffle. Maybe, just maybe when we reach the end of the line people will be jolted back into realizing what it takes to make a community run.

I have long realized my duty to serve and I do so with a sense of pride and satisfaction that I have yet to find anywhere else, whether it be in the back of an ambulance or in front of a high school classroom. I only hope that Everybody realizes their duty as well, and Somebody steps up, before Nobody does what Anybody can (and should) do.

Entre'act

Before I post my next musing, I feel like I should give a quick rundown of the rules that I will be following for discussing actual EMS calls on my blog. I'm borrowing liberally from Peter Canning of StreetWatch, one of EMS' most prolific authors and bloggers (and also, a personal role model of mine), so I will direct you to the following page:

• http://medicscribe.com/blogging/

I will try my best to convey the heart, or the essence of each story, but to protect my patients, fellow providers, the service I run for, and myself, there will be several alterations of superficial details.

I hope you enjoy the posts to come,

CW

Role Models

I've come to the conclusion that when the going gets tough, the tough find role models that can provide that extra bit of incentive and support to achieve one's goals--and then they get going. Recently, I've been feeling kind of overwhelmed by life, particularly by the demands that my academic pursuits have been making on my time.

For those of you who have been around since the beginning, the fact that I am simultaneously pursuing both an undergraduate and graduate degree comes as no surprise. For those of you that know me personally, the fact that I am on an accelerated track for both degrees is also not new information. For anyone with a bit of common sense, the fact that I am struggling and under some pretty intense stress should not blow you out of the water.

As a result of this academic (and many-other-factors induced overload), I've been floundering a bit. For most of my life, I have been largely intrinsically motivated. I choose to do and pursue things that I am passionate about because accomplishing those acts makes ME happy. There was a substantial period in my life where I struggled with the lose-lose reality of pursuing not-quite-passions because I believed that they would make other people happy, and thereby make me happy; it turns out my theory was horribly wrong in that regard.

And I'll be honest: history and teaching do make me happy. In fact, they are two of the things in my life that I am most passionate about (if there is confusion on this point, I refer you to why I started the blog in the first place...); however, lately I've realized that my personal fulfillment in the pursuit of an undergraduate and graduate degree is hardly cutting it anymore. I feel as if sometimes my workload is isolating me from the relationships that will make my eventual achievement of these goals enjoyable. Sometimes I feel like Hermione Granger.

No...I'm not kidding. If you want a better understanding of why I identify with a fictional character, read this; maybe then you'll understand. To me, Hermione Granger is an inspiration of sorts; the girl who didn't let anything get in the way of her voracious academic pursuits; the girl who wasn't afraid to fight for her dreams and what she believed in; the girl who valued her friendships above all else; the girl that I grew up idolizing. Yes, Hermione Granger has been and always will be a role model to me as a still-trying-to-find-my-way, at times graceless, yet well intention-ed young adult. With some of the stuff that I have been dealing with in the past few months, having a role model like Hermione has provided me with a model of how to keep on in the face of adversity and challenge.

That's not to say that all of my role models exist in the fictional realm. I am so unbelievably blessed to have an extraordinarily high number of impressive and commendable individuals in my life after whom I can model my own actions and choices, as well as rely on for support. And since my life has kicked into high gear recently, that support has been indispensable. So I would like to say a thank you to a few people whom have remained steadfast in their support, compassion, love and inspiration in recent months. Your companionship and dignity with which you live your lives continues to amaze me, and makes everything that I am working towards that much richer.

To my mom: I love you and you are truly one of the strongest women and supporters that I know. I don't know where I would be without you in my life.

To my adopted grandfather and mentor: your kindness helped a very lost little girl find her voice and her way, and I look up to you in more ways than you will ever know. Thank you for taking this fellow Yank under your wing, and teaching by example that a little bit of compassion, humility, laughter and common sense can take you far in this world.

To my beautiful cousins and sister: each of you have inspired me in unique and varied ways to try and be the best person that I can be. Each of you are veritable fonts of strength, grace, compassion and fun, and I am constantly amazed and humbled by the women you have turned out to be.

To the three musketeers: it always comes back to you. You are the rocks at the center of everything I do, and I know that we can face anything together and come out stronger for it.

To the family that I have chosen: friendship does not even begin to cover what I have with each and every one of you. Celebrating life's little moments and pleasures with you, whether it is a rich cup of coffee, or one another's triumphs and achievements, has left an indelible print on my heart.

It is with and because of each of you that the stress becomes manageable and the rewards become richer and the memories become stronger. You are the true role models that are helping me get through the overwhelming stress that enable me to keep my head in the game, channel my inner Hermione Granger, and face each challenge head on with no fear and the sweet taste of satisfaction. Thank you, and I love all of you.