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More particularly, I was thinking how this quote is reflective of every shift I start as a paramedic because you never know what’s going to happen. You could be involved in something easy or difficult. There might be a call that causes a lot of mental and physical stress or it could be so slow that boredom stagnates in your mind. There are times when you’re so busy that you don’t eat or you’re holding that need for a bathroom just a little longer.
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For instance, I was nearing the end of a recent shift when I finished helping someone back into their recliner after they had slipped while trying to sit in it. As we left the apartment we were told to check an alarm in an apartment across the street. My partner and I didn’t think much of it, because let’s face it, most of the time these lifeline alarms have been accidentally triggered. However, as I walked into the apartment I was suddenly confronted with someone who was struggling to breathe. Within minutes we were racing to the hospital, sirens blaring and I’m squeezing air into the patient’s lungs to keep them alive.
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It’s during these situations that you see a side of people you wouldn’t normally see. This is especially true of a patient’s family or friends and the way they deal with the stress of the moment. As a paramedic, when you walk into a situation you don’t know how the people around you will react. Some might be levelheaded, while others become so stressed that they express it through agitation, demands and, on occasion, threats.
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Experience and the ability to take control of a situation play a significant role in the outcome of the call. This also holds true with just about any job and the actions of your coworkers play a critical role in the outcome too. This is never truer than the presence of your partner on the ambulance.
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Because you and your partner are thrown into all kinds of situations, a unique relationship develops. It’s a bond that speaks of trust, the ability to work together through a difficult call and ultimately it’s someone you know will have your back. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with some incredible people and in doing so I’ve had the opportunity to develop a close rapport with several of my partners. It’s these connections that lead to lifelong friendships because not only do you share in the trials and tribulations of the job, but also in the laughter and the ups and down of each other’s lives.
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You would think that this type of bond would be similar to the one we have with our spouse or significant other. I feel, for the most part, many of us do. Or at least we should, shouldn’t we? And if not, why not?
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Maybe the pandemic has been partly to blame, but lately I’ve heard ongoing complaints regarding husbands, wives, boyfriends or girlfriends. I often wonder if it’s because we’ve opened ourselves to love, that we, in turn, find it easier to distrust, blame, incite or simply demean our significant other. Is it because we’re trying to protect our feelings, emotions and well-being?
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I don’t have an answer to this question. But, what I do know is that when a shift is over on the ambulance you park it, lock it, say good bye to your partner and go home.
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Our personal relationships don’t end when the day is done and we need to ask ourselves if we’re treating them properly. Are we listening to what our life partner is saying? Do we realize that our words or actions can be harmful? Are we quick to criticize or do we support, encourage and prop them up when they need it the most?
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I think that we can all agree that personal relationships can be, at times, difficult. Unfortunately, sometimes they just don’t work. But they can also be uplifting, pleasurable and full of happiness. I’d like to think that the relationship we have with our significant other is like a box of chocolates: sweet, enjoyable and full of bliss. I don’t think that it should be so unpredictable that you don’t know what you’re going to get on any given day. In the end your words, actions and reactions are the things that make all the difference.
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I still believe that the majority of us want to be in this together, let's not be too close together while we're all in it.