Last night as I turned out the light, snuggled under my down comforter, and prepared to slide into a land of peaceful slumber I was jolted by the sound of sirens. Lots of sirens and it reminded me of something I'd written in my journal awhile ago on an evening much like last night. A night full of sirens.
The five senses are amazing. Each one can trigger a memory and transport you back to a moment you'd thought you'd forgotten. A taste, a touch, a sound, a smell.....All can bring back a vivid recollection and it is as if you were transported back in time reliving that experience again.
The other night I was driving my oldest son to spend the evening at a friends house. We had the windows down and were belting out the words to the song playing on the radio. I am grateful that my son has great taste in music and likes the same songs that I do. Everyday as I drive him to and from school we belt out the words to whatever song is on the radio. A time I cherish.
Last Friday evening was no different and as we were driving along the back roads of town another sound started to press its way into our senses. A sound that made us immediately tun off the radio so we could see where it was coming from and if we needed to get out of the way, a siren. A screaming message that help was on the way to who ever was in trauma waiting, listening for that sound that never gets there fast enough even if the ambulance is just around the corner from where you live. A sound that means hope.
Every time I hear a siren, and I do often since we live a block away from the fire station, I say a prayer. A prayer for those who are in trauma waiting for the piercing sound that means help is on the way.
I know what it is like feeling helpless watching your baby or loved one struggling. There is nothing you can do. So you wait. You wait for the sound of a miracle.
I hate sirens. I hate what they mean and yet it is the very sound you want to hear desperately and every fiber of you strains to hear when there is trauma.
I am grateful to the people behind the sirens. I'm grateful for their willingness to drop everything and come to all of our aid and when they come in..it isn't like in the movies. They come in quietly and there is a sense of reassuring calm as they assess the situation.
So next time you hear a siren, take a moment and offer up a quick prayer of comfort to those who are waiting and to those who are coming to offer aid.
Growing up I lived on a corner that, with the city encroaching on our little town, grew increasingly busy. It was a horrible corner to live on because we got to know the all too familiar sound of screeching brakes and then the crunching of metal as 2 cars collided. It was something I never got used to. But then again, there couldn't have been a better corner for disaster to happen on either. We all had our specific jobs, street sweeper, traffic director, 911 caller, and mine specifically- runner. My mom and the neighbor across the street were both nurses and my job was to 'run' and retrieve supplies they need to treat the victims until the paramedics arrived. It always amazed me at the way they instantly took charge of a chaotic situation with instant measured calm. So impressive. It's probably one of the reasons I chose nursing as a profession. I wanted that ability to tame chaos.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, sorry for the book. It does just give validity to your words... "The five senses are amazing. Each one can trigger a memory and transport you back to a moment you'd thought you'd forgotten."
Thanks for your thoughts.
What a great post! It brought tears to my eyes and a prayer to my heart for those who help as well as those who need the help.
ReplyDeleteNatalie, that sound has to be the worst sound. When ever I hear two vehicles crunching it just makes me sick to my stomache!
ReplyDeleteWould your nursing degree help you to tame the chaos that is in my house? :D
Chastina, like I said, as much as I hate what an ambulance means or places like Primary Children's I am so grateful they are there when I need them.
Jody, you know it amazes me how angry people can get when there is an accident. People are hurting, dying perhaps......and there are those who have their own agenda and are miffed that they have to wait for someone who is hurt! A few years ago my oldest and I were headed up North to see family. About an hour into our drive we came to a dead stop and didn't move an inch for hours! There was a huge accident which involved a tanker that had blown up. Literally five hours later we were able to get off of the freeway but the thing that amazed me is here are all of these people stuck on the freeway. There was no where to go. We were all stuck and it was so neat what started to happen. People got out of their cars, walked around and mingled, those of us that had food started to share, cell phones were passed around so we could call loved ones to let them know what was going on. In our car we had two apple pies. I had a brand new baby so we got (it was my daughter) her out of her car seat and Brennan and I sat and ate a pie with a baby spoon. It is all we had. We gave the other pie away to a car full of teenage kids. People needed to use the bathroom so off they'd go into the bushes next to the freeway. It was a horrible situation but I was so glad I was surrounded by good caring happy people and knew that if I ran into any problems sitting there in the heat on the freeway with a new baby there were many around who would help if need be. People like you and Ron.
ReplyDeleteMy sister wanted to be an EMT. I never could. I don't have the stomache for it. I'd be of zero help. Blood and me.....not good.
It hasn't help so far at my own house, so I'm thinkin a negative on yours too.
ReplyDeleteI did ask my mom once how she remained so calm, she said, "I was calm? I always felt like a mess." So I guess it takes a good actress.
I heard them too. I stopped what I was doing and sat up straight and told G - "Hear them." And that's what we do as well, because it means something terrible has happened to a real, breathing person - even in death, there are friends and family standing there. I wonder what it was. I always wonder, and also hope it's nobody under my care - like, the whole ward. Jeri totalled her car the other day. I only found out about it on Facebook. We couldn't get anybody to answer the door when Chaz and I went over, so I'm still in the dark.
ReplyDeleteKristen, Aaargh! So we don't know if Jeri is okay???? Let me know!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ginna. I do too....and I don't. :)
ReplyDeleteI always do. It only took me being in an ambulance once in my life for me to fully appreciate that the other person is going through a trauma right at that moment, and praying for them is the best thing I can do. I wish I wouldn't have had to experience that myself to KNOW that...but sometimes that's the only way we learn.
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