Story-stuff-gathering

Emergency Room visits are a place for story-stuff gathering. Well, urgent other things too, many of them far less fun and diverting, such as the small but painful emergency in my family tonight.

But there's definitely all kinds of story material just lying around there (or walking through, or yelling from another room). It's all ripe for the capturing. So many writing prompts! So little time!

It's a violation of privacy to go see what's really happening, but nobody's violating any HIPAA rules if they take that simple input, and make up a story from that and imagination alone.

A crowded corridor at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston looks a lot like the place where I spent a chunk of the evening. (Photo by Boston Globe/File Photo 2017).

Writing prompts, such as . . . ?

What's the kid wailing about, three rooms down? You'd think they were exacting 93-and-a-half minutes of torture. How did s/he end up here?  Did somebody say something about an X-ray?

Who's the woman who keeps patiently telling someone, "No, you can't get out of bed. No, you can't stand up"? To whom is she talking? What's that person's problem? Why does she remain so patient and kind with them? What kind of person is she, and what is their relationship?

Why were those three police officers standing huddled to one side, talking intently in low tones? Who's in the room nearby? What brought them there?

For whom did the black priest in the clerical collar arrive? Why is the family in matching sports jerseys crying and hugging in the waiting room? And what's with Balloon-Woman?

Story-stuff-gathering in practice

Life happens. Writers make stories out of it. 

Yes, I spent more time in the ER tonight than anybody ever wants to (unless they work there). The outcome was positive, and the problems are being dealt with. Thank God for the Emergency Room!

But the story-stuff was thick on the ground, and the story-stuff-gathering was awesome. I don't know when or how or if these elements will show up in a future story, but they helped me deal with tonight, and I'm praying for all of the real people mentioned above (certainly including Balloon Woman).

Whenever life gets tough, I start story-stuff-gathering, and I know I'm not the only one. Because, at their heart, stories are about the tough times, the devastating events, the challenging obstacles that we don't know how we'll surmount--and surmounting them.

The role of Story

(Title Wave for Books on Facebook)

When our protagonists find a way, they blaze a trail, sometimes. They represent. They offer hope. That's story-making at its most archetypal, doing its work in the world.

So thank you, God, for story-stuff-gathering opportunities, even when they test and dismay us. And here's to the hope that we story-makers may be empowered do well by our role the world.

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to the Boston Globe, for the photo of the Emergency Room at Brigham and Women's Hospital, with an ER corridor that looks a lot like the one where I spent most of this evening, and to Donna Tartt and TitleWave for Books on Facebook for the quote-image that has become my motto. 

Merry Christmas, and be careful out there

Not everyone gets to celebrate at home with their families today. With that in mind, today's post is a tribute to the first responders who have to work. Because heart attacks don't take a holiday. Neither do fires. Nor mental health emergencies. Nor crime. "Let's be careful out there" was an iconic line from the 1980s show Hill Street Blues, but it applies in all decades.

In the past I've written about ways to thank first responders, and I hope I've expressed my thanks and respect through other blog posts as well. But it's time to do it again. So to all first responders I'd just like to say, Merry Christmas, and be careful out there!

911 Dispatchers

The Dispatch Center at the Ada County Sheriff's Department in Ada County, Idaho is a busy place during the holidays, just like practically every other 911 Dispatch center.

It's a too-frequently-forgotten crucible of chaos that's often a center of frantic activity on holidays: the place where the calls come in. 9-1-1 dispatchers have a high-stress front row seat on the worst day in the life of practically everyone in town.

That goes double for busy winter holidays. Roads are often wet or icy. People are distracted, inebriated, or both. Stuff happens. And 9-1-1 dispatchers are expected to remain rock-steady through it all. No, they're not out in the weather, but never imagine they're not in the fight. And never imagine their job is easy.

I hope they'll accept my heartfelt thanks, for what they're worth!

Emergency Medical Service and Firefighters

EMS doesn't always get shoveled sidewalks or plowed streets when it snows, but it's nice when that happens. (Photo by Gold Cross Ambulance/Post Bulletin)

EMS is part of the local Fire Department in much of the United States, but not always or everywhere. However they're organized, when Dispatch calls they go. No matter what's on the ground. Shouldn't matter which neighborhood (although, sadly, sometimes it may). And it doesn't matter how gory or horrible the things they see when they arrive might be.

Winter is a difficult time to fight fires. Added to the usual dangers, cold weather can cause falls from slips on ice, frostbite, and related hazards. Add all of this to the strain of being away from one's family, and you can see that holiday duty comes with added stress.

Many thanks to all of you! Merry Christmas, and be careful out there!

Christmas cheer is where you make it at the fire station, when you have to work that day or night. (Photo: WJHG Channel 7, Panama City Beach, FL)

Sometimes it's a modest wreath . . . sometimes it's a bit more elaborate. (Photo: Ephraim325 on Reddit)

Police Officers

Many of the people who come into contact with police officers during the holidays are not happy to see them. Drunk drivers, domestic disturbances in stressed-out households, thieves from porch pirates to armed robbers, and many other criminals take no holidays. In fact, Christmas is "the most dangerous time of the year."

This makes police officers' Thanksgivings thankless, their Christmases critical, and their New Years nasty. Whatever holidays they celebrate, they know they'll receive more curses than holiday greetings on those days.

I know one blog post can't make up for all the abuse, but this blogger thanks you! Merry Christmas, and be careful out there!

I found a couple of cartoons by this unidentified artist, featuring an "Officer Santa" character. (If you know who the artist is, I'd love to know and give credit!) (Sidney Ohio City Government on Facebook)

Clearly the same artist, same character, same rousing thank-you message. (Police Benevolent Foundation)

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to the Ada County (ID) Sheriff's Glassdoor listing, for this uncredited photo of their dispatch center. I'm grateful to The Rochester (MN) Post Bulletin and Gold Cross Ambulance (now called Mayo Clinic Ambulance). I also thank WJHG Channel 7, of Panama City Beach (FL), for their photo and story about first responders working on the holidays. I'm very grateful to Ephraim 325 on Reddit, via Pinterest. I'm grateful to the Sidney, Ohio City Government's Facebook Page for the first "Officer Santa" picture, and to the Police Benevolent Foundation, via the "Sh*t My Callers Say" Tumbler, written by an emergency response dispatcher. 

So, I wrote this book . . . the saga continues.

Anyone who's been reading this blog periodically may have stumbled onto a mention or three about the science fiction novel I've been working on.

To be fair, it's a science fiction universe I've been creating, the physical setting and milieu for a whole series of novels. Any blog posts I've written about future trends, such as last year's series on automation, the DIY Space Station series, first responders, and/or police K-9s, MWDs, or service animals, all have been directly inspired by research aimed at making my fictional world seem more real.

The book's still not published, so, no: this is not a sales pitch. It's more like an update. After the 2016 post that marked the end of an early draft, it went through a series of editorial reviews by professionals I trust, as well as a lot of beta-readers' reviews (note: beta-readers are kind of like beta testers, only for books).

And it underwent lots and lots (and lots and lots) of revisions. As far as the comments from my various critique resources have been going, it apparently continues to improve. I recently sent it off for what I hope is a final round of critiques. Considering the sequel's now almost finished, I'm hopeful I can offer more substantive updates here soon.

IMAGES: Many thanks to the ever-witty Tom Gauld, via Pinterest, for the "Jealous of my Jetpack" picture, to Roxanne Smolen's Instagram Page for the illustrated Phyllis Whitney quote, and to Kathy R. Jeffords for the "2nd Draft Won't Kill You" design and thought.

Is there a way not to burn? Looking beyond individual solutions

California is still burning, as I write this. Last week's middle-of-the-week post, inspired by the wildfires in the Western USA, was focused on ways that individual property-owners can mitigate their fire risk.

Santa Rosa, CA, Oct. 9, 2017: Photo by Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle/Polaris via ABC News.

But individuals are not always able to control their surroundings completely enough to take all those steps. Where are your 30- and 100-foot "zones of defensibility" when you live in an apartment building like the one in the photo above, or a densely-spaced neighborhood like the one in the photo below?

With apologies, I grabbed a screen-capture because I wanted to show the contrast in what had originally been published as an interactive graphic from ABC News. To see the original, please go to the article.  Keep scrolling!

Remember, the residents of this community sought out housing they could afford, in an attractive neighborhood that had been safe for years. Here is a mind-blowing, in-depth report by ABC's Matt Guttman. He talks about the speed with which the fires advanced. He also gives some background on the neighborhood and the people who lived there.


ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos

With a lovely climate and access to natural beauty all around, it was a desirable place to live, work, and retire. No one expected a wildfire to come through and make it a deathtrap.

But the wildfire did come, and when it did not everyone got out in time, despite  heroic efforts by first responders. Lots of things went wrong (Murphy's Law strikes again), including with the alert systems.

Community planning is more important than we may think, in all kinds of ways--but disaster preparedness and mitigation is definitely one of them that I hope will get more attention as our environment grows more hazardous in this age of climate change.

Some of the principles I touched on in last week's post can be scaled up to the community: not only the idea of zones of defensibility noted above, but also concepts such as the fire danger of developments on a slope, and community building codes.

Other considerations include ensuring that fire equipment can get to burning buildings, whether permeable paving designed to mitigate runoff can stand up to the weight of fire equipment, and many more. Sometimes even seemingly offbeat solutions can work really well, too. Consider wildfire mitigation via goat-power:



Simply not developing some areas because of their increased risk (see slopes, above), or to use as "fuel breaks" requires community planners with the fortitude to stand up to the determined efforts of short-sighted, quick-money interests. Their offers can seem very attractive . . . until the disaster happens. Cool heads and long-term planning are going to matter more and more.

IMAGES: Many thanks to ABC News for the still photos from Santa Rosa, and also for the moving report by Matt Guttman from there. The still photo of the wildfire threatening houses is from Anchorage, Alaska's web page about community planning for wildfire mitigation, and the goat video is courtesy of YouTube and Denver 7 "The Denver Channel" (ABC again!). Many thanks to all!

Forgetting is not an option

Remembering September 11, 2001

We saw the worst of humanity that day. But we also saw some of the best. I hope you'll enjoy this tribute, with actual footage from that day at Ground Zero.



You also might appreciate this short National Geographic production about United Flight 93. 

Unfortunately, many 9/11 heroes are still "layin' it all on the line." A variety of respiratory illnesses and cancers have been linked to the pollution encountered by both survivors and first responders. But the trauma experienced that day has left many with PTSD and other mental health effects, as well. Last year, on the 15th anniversary, CBS News ran this item:



Clearly, not all sacrifices are made in a blaze of glory that ends quickly. The lingering effects of our collective trauma from that day still haven't played out.

VIDEO: Many thanks to Allec Joshua Ibay on YouTube, for the "Everyday Heroes" musical tribute to the first responders at Ground Zero. The song that gives the video so much of its emotional power, please note, is by Dave Carroll, who is not credited on Ibay's video (however, Ibay's images are more focused on the events of 9/11/01 than the video Carroll posted). You can buy Carroll's single or album on Amazon. Thanks also to The CBS Evening News and YouTube, for the video about first responders' mental health.

Visual thoughts on disasters

This is one of those days when pictures shout louder than words ever could.

Damage from Hurricane Harvey could require years of cleanup. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Western states in flames (KHQ-NBC Q6)

I think I recognize this road in San Juan, from my trip there in July! Good luck, my friends!! (Alvin Baez/Reuters)

A final thought.

For your consideration: Prayers for the victims, local first responders, volunteers, and trained disaster responders are always helpful (if you believe in their power, which I do). But don't stop there!
America's Charities Disaster Recovery Fund-Hurricane Harvey 
Wildfire relief efforts in Washington state 
Charity Navigator Hurricane Irma
The American Red Cross
ASPCA Disaster Response

IMAGES: Many thanks to The Washington Examiner, AP Photos, and photographer David J. Phillip for the photo of Freddi Ochoa in his Houston, TX front yard. I also appreciate the vivid map from KHQ in in Spokane, WA, showing all the fires wreaking havoc in the Northwestern US on the day before I wrote this post. I especially thank ABC News, photographer Alvin Baez, and Reuters, for the horrifying photo from San Juan, PR. And I appreciate ShareQuotes4You and meetville.com for the Mollie Marti quote.