Life Lessons

In the last two and a half weeks there has been a lot that has happened. Firstly I have had to move out of the apartment that I was in due to my roommate's contract being canceled. Thankfully I was able to get a hotel room for free through the Hilton and the ENA initially for three weeks and then there is a program here in NYC that allowed me to get my room free through June 30th.

I am now at the Hampton Inn Times Square, and I love it. It is different living in a hotel but I am making the best of it. I have gotten a few things to make my hotel room to try to make it feel as much as I can make it feel like home. My new address is:

220 W 41st St.

Room 704

New York, NY 10036

One of the things I love most about Times Square is how breathtaking all the lights are. One night towards the very end of EMS week I was coming home from hanging out with a group of travel nurses while we celebrated Memorial Day together, and there it was this magnificent lite up sign of appreciation for the real heroes. I have posted the second photo of the Ambulance Bay at my hospital previously in an attempt to show my appreciation for my EMS colleagues but in all honesty, I don't think I could ever fully thank them enough. With everything going on in the world now, I can only imagine the things that they see, before I ever get to and I'm amazed by their compassion, strength, intelligence, cat-like reaction time, and twisted sense of humor.

On Memorial Day I went to the 9/11 Memorial and took the Ferry to see nonother then the Statue of Liberty herself. Making this trip for me was an emotional one. I remember exactly where I was on that September day like it was just yesterday, and I remember how my life changed so much after that day. At that time I lived in England with my family and the period of time after 9/11 left a lasting impression on me. I teared up at the 9/11 memorial and then while riding the Ferry to see Lady Liberty. Thinking about all my ancestors that made their way to this country through Ellis Island and New Orleans swept me over with a wave of emotion. I thought about what must they have thought coming to this country. I thought of the strength, ingenuity, and courage they had to possess to endure the challenges they were faced with. I thought of both my parents that were still active duty during 9/11 and how they were around my age. I began to think about what they must have been going through their head with them both being in the Air Force and knowing that our Country would be going to war. Would they have felt as nervous as I was to leave home but still excited at the same time to be of service to our country? Both my parents enstilled a deep sense of patriotism, service before self, integrity first, and excellence in all that I did. Being at both of these sacred grounds just made me beyond thankful to be blessed with parents that raised me to be good person with a huge heart and a never-ending desire to help people in the way that I can.

This first image is of a mural that was painted right outside of the Hosptial that I am working at. Then the second photo is of The New York Times, which is right around the corner from my new hotel room. The last picture is of a completely empty subway car besides myself, when I was heading home from a day of sight-seeing.

In a turn of events, I got to be a firefighter for a brief second in time when a fire erupted in the section of the ER. I have never had to use a fire extinguisher in my life or pull a fire alarm and well I did that night. It was an organized hurry that all the nurses in my section helped keep our patients safe. I and another nurse pulled the fire alarm while I and another had to quickly figure out how to pull the pin in the fire extinguisher. I know it sounds like a simple task but when it took a second to figure it out and at the same time another group of nurses moved a patient that was in the room right next to this, and then we put all those hours of education on the PASS method to use. I never thought I would have to or need to use a fire extinguisher in the ER of all places. But you never know what is going to happen when you work in an ER. And yes they sent a whole swarm of Fire Fighters in after we put out the fire, they were definitely not sore on the eyes.

On my way to work today, I saw protestors and law enforcement in their full riot gear. I had heard the night before that a police vehicle had been set on fire. It is another thing to see it with my own eyes, as much as I wanted to go see more of it I had to make my way to work. With everything going on I have held my tongue on exactly what to say because I am flabbergasted that this is the world that we live in. I have seen in news articles before Black Men and Women losing their lives, but I would have never imagined that George Floyd would have been murdered in the way that he was. I have disagreed with some members of my family about former forms of protest in regards to this particular subject, and I'm sure I will still disagree with them. I can't imagine living my life in fear because of the color of my skin. I am blessed that I do not have to live like that, but although I may not be one to protest by burning American Flags or buildings I can understand where they are coming from. Because they have tried the peaceful protest so many times before and it still has not made a difference, they continue to be murdered at a higher rate then any other race and that breaks my heart. I grew up not seeing the colors of a person's skin but rather the character of a person by their actions. I know that members of my family have been judged based on the color of their skin and although I may not look like the rest of my family, it doesn't make me any less Hispanic in the words of my God-brother I was just super clean since they used a whole bar of soap each day to wash me. I pray that we are able to learn from this horrible situation to show each other grace and take the time to really listen to each other. I've always believed that its our differences that make us the beautiful country. We have a lot more in common we each other than we initially think that we do. I know this because I can find at least one thing with each of my patients in the ER. And this girl from Austin, TX although I may be a unique example, I am just like you. I have a mother, father, brother, family, friends and those who mean the world to me. I may have been allotted more opportunities than others in some cases but, it really doesn't take that much to try to put myself in the shoes of another person. Sometimes I have to remind myself that we are all children of God and that we all have our battles that we are facing. So I hope that all of you who read my blog can find it in your heart to put yourself in the shoes of someone you don't know because #Blacklivesmatter!

Love,

Destinee