I had someone very close to me point out that sometimes I have the ability to get rather negative, as of late, about where I came from. Looking back at some posts and some Tweets, I couldn’t help but see what she was talking about. I don’t know exactly why that manifests itself. Some of it is frustration, some of it is my own pride. While 2012 posed a lot of crossroads for me that led to my inevitable departure from Springfield, I count my blessings every day for the experiences I had and the friends that I made in my twelve years working there.
I learned many lessons from many, many different people: patients, doctors, professors, EMTs that I worked with, supervisors who both supervised me and supervised with me, paramedics who reported to me. . . the list goes on and on. I had a long way to go to be good at my job when I started in Springfield and without those experiences, without those calls that I did both with good and bad outcomes I would not be the person or the paramedic that I am today.
I left for a number of reasons, the culmination of it all contributing to the fact that I was not happy. Part of it was issues with the local direction of my company, part of it was the major changes happening way above my head that I had absolutely no control over. I wanted and needed a change, and that is exactly what I got. None of that took away from the fact that I had some amazing supervisors that I got to work with, and two hundred plus EMT’s and paramedics who I was proud to work in the street with.
Now that I am almost four months out from my departure, I just wanted to once again share that with everyone. I have written a lot in the last month about the team at AMR Springfield because I believe in them and I believe that no one could do a better job for the people in Springfield. I believe in the EMTs, the paramedics, the dispatchers, and the team that leads them.
Today is a big day for the group in Springfield. At 3:30 this afternoon there is a City Council meeting where one of the main topics is their ability to provide an effective and efficient service to the City. I wish you all the best of luck. Through all my whining, and complaining, and bitching, and sarcasm, I believe in all of you.