I get it, I really do. When I find time to browse the internet, most of the things I take the time to read are quick, witty things that make me smile, chuckle, shake my head or laugh out loud. “Give the people what they want” is good advice, and I don‘t mind obliging.
Lists are big attention getters, venting about something or other usually will snare people whose opinions differ from my own, and when all else fails I can always rely on the absurd, and lord knows there is always something absurd to write about.
I do my best to get my articles read by as many people as possible, and I know exactly what will be seen, shared and disseminated. I’ve also learned just how to tweak the buttons of the people I‘m trying to reach. Most of the time I get the reaction I had planned for, and I endure the torture from the masses who love to offer their voice to the conversation.
Writing positive articles with strong messages about hope, competence and caring often isn‘t edgy enough to catch the interest of a public hungry for controversy.
But every now and then, when one of my articles of the positive variety catches on, I can see that people understand or are moved by what I wrote. At those times, all of the abusive commentary vanishes as if it never existed. I have some personal favorites — across a few of my writing venues — and I invite you to check them out.
10 Of My Best Articles You Will Probably Never Read
Click on images below to read each article.
1. 5 Thoughts for the Living
If somebody I knew died suddenly I would probably at some time Google “Dealing with Sudden Death.” Having been present at the time of sudden death gives me perspective that I thought might help somebody dealing with the grief after such a loss. I hope this article has helped.
2. The Connection of Letting Go
People must wonder what it was like for their loved one during their last moments, if those moments happened in an ambulance, which they often are. I wrote this one after one such encounter.
3. Working at Home
In my opinion, nursing home workers are truly heroic. They never get credit for what they do, especially from people in EMS. I wrote this one after a nursing home response, when I realized how important the people who work there are to their patients.
4. Done Well
Life happens all around us, and so does death. Being present during some of the most dramatic moments in a person‘s life is a gift that I do not take lightly. In this one, a seven-year-old kid loses his grandfather. It‘s a story that happens all the time, everywhere.
5. Last Battle
A veteran fighting for his life makes me think of all of heroic battles going on in my own family, as one generation gives way to the next.
6. The Calls That Matter Most
A mother and daughter share a ride in Rescue Co. 1, and I am inspired by what I witness; a loving connection, caring and hope.
7. Waiting
A lonely old man waits for help to arrive. He‘s not all that sick, physically anyway. We respond to his hi-rise apartment, and we make him feel better, which makes us feel better. And that, is what it is all about.
8. Ordinary Calls
What to us is business as usual is to our patients an event that they will talk about for the rest of their lives. A middle-aged man has a diabetic emergency after a Crosby, Stills and Nash concert. What could have been mundane for us was anything but; all because of the connection with the people who depend on us.
9. At Peace
A person in cardiac arrest is revived, and some soul searching ensues.
10. Glimmer of Hope
A child struck by an auto shows more cool and compassion than the people caring for her. Truly inspirational!
These articles may never “catch on,” but without something of value to offset the less serious things I write, there wouldn‘t be much of a reason to keep writing the things that matter.
