There was a time when being a doctor, nurse, firefighter, EMS Operator, Police was nothing more than a person with a hell of a career ahead of them. Good money, respect, and kudos to them all. Something has changed and continues to mindfully change for us all. You know how you come to appreciate something or someone when you most need it, or when it or they cannot be found?
In the past, precious few of us hoped to need their assistance, but now we all need a helping hand don’t we? The clouds of smoke remind us of the firefighters and emergency workers across the nation battling forest fires, floods, and other environmental disasters that Climate Change has thrown at us. Thousands have been forced from their homes to seek shelter where they can find it, whether in strangers’ homes or community centers. The fires rage continually, and 2023 will certainly be remembered by us all as “The Big Burn”.
If you are in need of medical attention, and a trip to the hospital is at hand, the heroes whom we played bang the pan are still available to us all, just their numbers are way down indeed. Waiting times in hospitals remain very high, while our healthcare professionals make every effort to assist us with the staff and equipment at hand. Many Regional Emergency Centers close for days or a week because there simply is no way to properly assist patients. This should open our eyes to the many deficiencies of our Universal Healthcare System. Staffing will continue to be a problem, as private healthcare centers open snatching experienced nurses from our hospitals with higher pay.
Whether these workers are nurses, Emergency or EMS operators, airline pilots, border guards, paramedics, or healthcare professionals we have come to support them as they have always supported our communities. The people who maintain our electrical grids that heat and cool us during what’s going to be a hot summer. Is every job becoming essential? Perhaps essential to someone indeed. For a moment consider all the services you are dependent upon, and the many people whose work maintains your livelihoods, homes, schools, and basic existence. Teachers should be essential workers, teaching, molding, and preparing our little ones for a generational futuristic challenge.
The working Man and Woman, your neighbor, friend, or family member perhaps are all essential to our community and society’s betterment. That a child can look at a cop, firefighter, or nurse and see a hero before them, someone who has invested their life in the betterment of their community is a pivotal moment, something to celebrate. Whether you celebrate July 1st or July 4th, celebrate the people who make your nation as wonderful as it is, as liveable as it can be. Raise a glass to the heroes you know, those in protective gear, medical scrubs, or those with a smile on their faces each day you return to your school room or office. Perhaps if you look really hard, you’ll notice they don’t need caps, super strength, or special abilities to be your life savers, protectors, and friends.
Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
[email protected]
