Relationship Reflections: The Importance of Choosing the Right EMS Soul Mate

 
A chance encounter at this year’s EMS Today Conference prompted me to write this month’s editor’s page.
While I was walking in the exhibit hall, an EMS provider came up to me and asked if I could answer a question for him. I said I’d be glad to, expecting a question about a conference session, a JEMS article or some other area directly related to EMS.
It turns out that what he wanted to know was how I found the perfect mate who understood my involvement in EMS. More importantly, he wanted to know how I found someone who tolerated my passion for EMS.
It caught me off guard, but I thought it was an intriguing question—one I’d never really thought about too much because I did, in fact, find the perfect spouse for me 38 years ago when I met my wife Betsy.
I spoke to him about the importance of having someone to turn to for support when the stress and strain of the job takes its toll.
We need someone who can accept that there will be times when we come home and don’t want to talk about what’s bothering us—and perhaps we don’t want to talk much about anything for a few days.
There are also times when we come home on an adrenaline high from a challenging call, or are depressed after an extremely taxing or tragic call. It’s important for us to have someone in our lives who will listen when we try to communicate our experience, excitement, failure or mental fatigue, and who will understand our moods, sorrow, tears and nightmares.

A.J. and Betsy in front ...

Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - May 1, 2018 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: A.J. Heightman, MPA, EMT P Tags: Columns Administration and Leadership Source Type: news