Thank God for nurses (especially the one waiting for the bus with her groceries)
On gratitude for the right person being in the right place at the right time. And also, guns. Lots of guns. (And more!)
Good Monday morning, Code 47 readers. I apologize for missing last week's update and note. To be honest, the long weekend just got away from me. With our kids finally returning to school (in class) after that weekend, and with my teacher wife scrambling to get herself ready for a return to the classroom, the weekend was just kinda nutty, to be honest.
In fact, I am thinking I might have to switch these to another day of the week — perhaps Friday. I'm finding that by the weekend I'm pretty burned out and the kids, even in this crazy time, still need to get out lest they tear the house down — tobogganing and walking the dog being the activities that tick the two essential boxes: using up kid energy and meeting the approval of Toronto Public Health. The fact that I'm sending this on Monday speaks to the point. By the time the kids were down to sleep yesterday, I was just wiped.
So, for now at least, consider Code 47's publishing date to now be every Friday. We'll see how that goes for a bit.
I don't have much to offer beyond this little update, but I did want to make a quick note. During this terrible pandemic we have spoken about heroes: medical professionals and essential workers. We have belatedly given some attention to categories of worker that most of us wouldn't have thought of before — those who keep our essential supply lines running, from truck drivers to the guys stocking the shelves. This is good! But I want to talk just for a moment about nurses. They don't get as much credit as they deserve.
We live quite close to a busy Toronto street — just a short walk down from the intersection. I don't know why, but this intersection seems to be a disaster. There's nothing obviously dangerous about it. The only thing I can think of is that since it falls in about the middle of a rare stretch of flat, straight road through Toronto's urban maze, people get their speed up too high. Whatever the explanation, there are semi-frequent accidents in the intersection. Probably almost one a year since we moved in. The latest was just a few days ago.
I didn't see it, but I heard it. I was outside already, in boots and coat, thank God, getting something out of my wife's car, when there was a terrific bash and I heard screams. Well, shit, I thought. Again. The last time this had happened about a year ago, a badly injured man had needed my help and I was very aware in that moment how little training and skill I actually have. I had intended to do something about that but then, well, all this happened. [Gestures at state of human civilization.] Anyway, so, extremely mindful of my near-total uselessness, I ran up to the cars to help. One car had obviously taken the worst of it. The passengers of the other car were already out of their vehicle, shocked but alert, conscious and moving. The vehicle that was in worse shape was pretty badly off, and I'm sorry to say I heard screaming inside. And some of it was a child's screams.
Well, shit, I thought again.
The good news: the kid was OK. Terrified and shocked and battered a bit by the impact and the airbag, but OK. His mom was OK, too. His dad, alas, was a bit of a mess. I think he's going to be OK, as none of his injuries seemed, to my untrained eye, particularly dangerous. But he'd clearly hit his head and was obviously confused and disoriented, his nose was flattened and bleeding a lot, and he had a hell of a rip in his scalp, too, that was also merrily bleeding. Like I said, he was a mess.
The last time this happened, I was basically alone with the injured guy — a few other people did run up but they were mostly unhelpful, as they were punching each other and trying to abduct a child or prevent said abduction. (Long story, trust me. It was a weird day.) This time, by fluke, there were a ton of people who came running. Most were gawking and taking pictures. One had the presence of mind to call 911 and also to loudly inform everyone that she had done so, so that there weren't a dozen calls all landing at once. So good. But one other witness, a middle-aged woman who'd been standing at the corner with a bag of groceries, waiting for the bus, just walked up to me, sighed heavily, and said, "I'm an ER nurse. I've got this."
And she did. I stepped back immediately and helped get the terrified kid and his mother out of the car (their doors were smashed shut). The nurse focused on the dad. Help arrived within about 10 minutes. But until it did, that nurse and her grocery bag had total command of the scene. She asked for help when needed, and got it, and when the injured father, in his disorientation, tried to get up and start moving, this woman, half his size, just shoved him back into his seat and held him there. I offered help. She just smiled and shook her head. She didn't have to say it. She's done that sort of thing many times before.
Half the emergency vehicles in the city arrived a few moments after that, and since I actually hadn't witnessed the incident, I went home. But I wanted to note her professionalism and confidence and, most of all, her poise. Nurses are tough. I'm glad we have them. And I was really glad to have one this weekend.
OK, let's recap the week that was ... last week.
I had guns on my mind in the National Post, where I reacted, ahem, to the Liberals' new proposed federal language. The proposal is, to put it mildly, absolute bullshit. It's just crass politicking on a matter of genuine public import. The public should be furious. But they won't be. And the Liberals know it.
If you want to know why the Liberal proposal is bullshit, check out my Post column here.
And this video, that followed up on the column:
And also this Twitter thread:
Look, I had a lot to say, OK?
Also in the Post from me last week, I did this video on the coming challenge for the provinces once the feds procure enough supply of COVID-19 vaccine.
At TVO.org, I did a more Ontario-centric version of the above video, exploring the specific problems Ontario has already faced, but some of the early (very early!) signs that it is finally getting its act together. Read that here.
I also interviewed Prof. Emeritus Wayne Lewchuk of McMaster University, a labour expert, on the much-discussed paid sick days. I'm fine with the idea in theory, but had some pragmatic concerns about whether it'll work. Prof. Lewchuck told me I wasn't crazy. Some readers may quibble, but it was still nice to hear. Check that column out here.
Well, that's it for now — sorry again to be tardy. Back with you on Friday. Have a terrific week.
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Twitter.com/MattGurney