Last week, I grabbed my overstuffed carry-on and
hopped a flight to Chicago, where I spent the next three-and-a-half days at a conference
for people who do what I do for a living. When I try to explain to someone what I do for a
living, the conversation usually goes something like this:
“So, what do you do?”
“I’m a volunteer manager.”
“Oh, how nice. But what do you do for a living?”
“I manage a large group of hospital volunteers.”
“Oh…You mean like candy stripers?”
At this point, I usually just cede defeat and mumble
“Something like that”, even though candy stripers have been regulated out of
the industry for at least twenty years and the term is laughably quaint. My
profession tends to be shrouded in mystery and poorly understood, and it is
sometimes debated as to whether it is even a profession. As with many
hospitals, I’m the sole person at my campus who does my job, I work entirely
alone, and every time I’m assigned a new manager, I have to begin anew the long
process of educating them about my work. So it was heavenly to be in the
presence of thousands of other volunteer program managers from hospitals all
over the country, who shared the same language and knew intimately the
frustrations, challenges and great joys that being in this field brings. Those
three-and-a-half days were filled with impassioned, often tear-jerking
speeches, professional and personal bonding, the open, generous sharing of
knowledge and resources, and some truly unforgettable stories. These are
passionate people who believe deeply in what they are doing and the impact that
their work has on their greater communities. Healthcare is one of the most
challenged industries in the U.S. right now, and yet there is this silent army
of warriors working behind the scenes with no recognition and often little
support, doing all they can to ensure the best experience possible for patients
through volunteerism.
The conference did exactly what a conference
should do—it knocked the cobwebs of day-to-day minutia from my eyes and
reconnected me to the “why” of what I do. But, almost as importantly, I got to
go on an Architectural Boat Tour on the Chicago River! It was touch and go—tickets
had sold out months before the conference and competition for any tickets that were
up for grabs from attendees was fierce. I really wanted to go on that tour but
hadn’t bought my ticket soon enough, so I was popping in at the conference
command station every hour on the hour like a junkie looking for a hit: “Do you
have a ticket for me? How about now? Do you have a ticket now? I’ll pay twice
the going rate!” It was a bit of kismet how I happen to obtain my cherished
ticket, but blessings were on my side during this conference, and I got one! And
the tour was more amazing than I imagined. I wish I had a recording of the tour
guide’s 90-minute spiel because all I can remember is “Bauhaus School” and “Bessie’s
cow caused a massive fire” and “Art Deco” and “I squandered college on a performing
arts degree”. But our ride down the Chicago River was stunning, and hearing the
vibrant history of the city was a real treat. Here are some pics from my cell
phone camera:
And, finally—I think I have almost cured myself of the “range shakes”! Just before I left for
the conference, I did one more stint at the range with Mr. Typist providing
steady and patient tutelage, in which I nonetheless left literally in tears of
frustration. I had frozen up again, gotten the shakes, started sweating like
mad, and got all scrambled up trying to follow the sequence of inserting the
mag, racking the slide, and clicking off the safety. I was buffeted by the
noise and extremely upset with my inability to calm myself down. This is where I
want to give a shout out to the very kind gentleman in our area who noticed my
distress and took time out of his shooting to assure and encourage me. He was
really nice to me about it, and told me he had a very hard time adjusting at
first too, and that it just took persistence, and said to be patient with myself.
I know to him that felt like a small kindness, but to me, it meant an awful
lot. So thank you, Kind Range Stranger. I really appreciate it.
Mr. Typist then suggested I try shooting with a
.22, otherwise known as a “plinker”, and, I had been wanting to try a revolver. I
spent a lot of time at home meditating and visualizing being in a relaxed state
(see, my New Age massage therapist days have
come in handy) while practicing my handgun grip and shooting stance. I told
myself this would be a happy experience and that it was perfectly safe and that
I was in control. Yesterday, we ventured out again, and that seemed to be the
magic formula. I rented a humble little double-action/single action revolver
that, while it had a heavy trigger pull, did not explode in my hands like a cannon
but rather expelled an almost dainty little “ping-choo!” with very little kickback. I relaxed almost immediately. This I could handle. It only took a few
repetitions to get comfortable with loading and emptying the cylinder, and I
was finally able to shoot and feel like it was a fun experience instead of an
exercise in wrestling down primal panic. It actually did become meditative
after a while: Count out nine rounds, load and lock the cylinder, set the gun
down, pick it up, get the grip, bring it to the ready, and fire. Empty the
cylinder, brush off the brass, and repeat. It felt comfortable, and I like the
elegance and beauty of revolvers. They are more aesthetically pleasing than
semi-automatics, and very simple to use. The noise ceased to become front and
center, and I just carried on, eventually getting a respectably tight grouping
on my target.
I’m not cured yet: I still had a few bad moments
with the sound and I’m still got mild shakes and brain freeze while shooting
the semi-automatics, but I think this was the re-set I needed to gain
confidence and feel like there is a starting point for me now. So, overall,
knock wood and not to jinx anything, but October, my favorite month, is
starting off pretty well. Here’s a little musical tribute to the start of Fall
from the adorable Noelle Johnson:
And here is a video from the American Hospital Association and the Association of Hospital Volunteer Resource Professionals that recaps the importance and impact of hospital volunteers:
--Kristen McHenry
--Kristen McHenry
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