In the 9 years since I graduated college, (yes 9 years), I have had certain experiences that stick out in what some my term a "professional high". Let me explain a bit further. Since college, I have worked 3 very different jobs. Each have had there own unique qualities, and each have had at least one experience that I will always remember. After college, I worked for a year and a half as a nursing assistant on a cardiovascular rehabilitation floor. For the most part, I normally wouldn't even consider mentioning that I did this, except for one very special patient that I helped. I had the pleasure of meeting and taking care of a man that seriously could have been Nelson Mandela's twin! Every morning around 5 am, this man would be awake, clean shaven and always smelling of a wonderful cologne. Out of curiosity as to why someone his age would be awake at such an early hour, he told me had been in the military for years. And not only had he been in the military, he had been an original Tuskegee Airman! If you are unfamiliar with the history of these men, they were America's first black military airmen. These brave young men fought for our freedom at a time when there were many people who thought that black men lacked intelligence, courage, skill and patriotism. It was such an honor to visit with this hero every morning before all of the other patients were awake. I can not imagine what he in his early years had to go through, and I have yet to this day to meet someone who had kinder eyes then this man. To read up on the history of these men, check out the website that is dedicated to telling of their stories. www.tuskegeeairmen.org
(courtesy kohm.org)
Now the next career I chose to pursue for a few years after the hospital was that of an athletic trainer. This was actually what I had received a Bachelor of Science degree in from college. Basically, I took care of athletes before, during or after they had been injured. Most people, especially females who choose this career, spend most of their time working with high school or college aged athletes. In my few years of working in this field, I actually had the privilege to travel to many places around Michigan, along with a 2 week tour of Germany, and eventually I worked for 4 months at Disney World's Wide World of Sports. Then after returning from Disney, I had the opportunity to work again in Florida for a private academy that trained both amateur and professional athletes in many different sports. There were 2 times that usually stick out in my mind about this time in my career. I'm a pretty tall and athletic girl. I don't ever feel "petite" next to any female for the most part. That was until the day I worked with Serena Williams.
(courtesy elsarings.com)
Have you seen this girl? Seriously, she's really tall...and strong! (She just lost to her sister Venus in the finals of Wimbledon). So not only do I now feel "petite" as I am taking care of her in my workout facility, but also having to kick off her little "ankle biter" of a dog that is running loose! Who brings a dog into a gym, really?! But that experience doesn't even take the cake when it comes to this particular career. And it wasn't even until a few years after meeting and working with this teenager, did I even realize the significance of it. And if I could have seen into the future of what this 14 year old tennis phenom would have become, I would have definitely stayed in touch with her. (She made 21 million dollars last year!) I had the wonderful privilege of working with a then 14 year old Maria Sharapova.
(courtesy tennisinfoblog.com)
This future Grand Slam champ and number 1 ranking tennis star, was the sweetest girl that actually "inhaled" an entire Carmel apple that I had got for her on her birthday! Then one day, to thank me for the apple, she had her mom make me a traditional Russian breakfast. And when I mean "traditional", I mean crepes with caviar! Um, yum? She seriously was the sweetest, most genuine kid I had met. And her incredible talent for the sport at the age of 14, was already well beyond anything anyone had seen in years in the world of tennis.
So on to my most recent experience, and the reason for the title of this blog. For the last 6 years I have been working in the field of emergency medicine. The last 4 years specifically as a paramedic. This in itself, as I have already written about a few times, has interesting experiences almost on a daily basis. But, the other night, one occurred, that I think I'll remember for the rest of my life. So, I can now say, and I really don't know how many people in the world can say this, have rescued a patient off of... wait ... wait ... off of a Pirate Ship! Yup, that's right, I actually got called to someone who had gotten injured, while on a Pirate Ship! And not only on the Pirate Ship, but specifically on the "Poop Deck" of the ship! I don't think I could make this up if I wanted to! So let me set the scene. Picture it, the 4th of July, what seemed like 45,000 people trying to get off of the island at one time, with only one bridge open. One young woman, enjoying the 4th of July, with "Capt Jack Daniels" if you catch my drift.
This young woman and that "bottle of rum" did not make for a very pretty pirate, she was more like the "wench" of the ship! She reminded me of the voodoo princess Tia Dalma from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies. Not by her look by any means, more in the fact that she was a bit "crazy" in her actions, shall we say.
(courtesy kidstvmovies.about.com)
She did not like me! Remember before when I said I'm tall and athletic? Well this little pirate, all 110 pounds of her, totally kicked my "booty"! Believe me, if I could have, I would have made her "walk the plank"! All I can say is, thank gosh for my friend "Captain Haldol"!
And not that anything else during this daring rescue should have amused me, but when the patient's boyfriend showed up in a fake pirate hat and a drawn on mustache, let's just say, Captain Jack Sparrow (aka Johnny Depp) you ain't!
(courtesy home.btconnect.com)
(courtesy www.impawards.com)
(courtesy www.decibelmagazine.com)
