A Follow-Up and an Anniversary
Tammy had a follow-up appointment last Friday with a member of her medical team to discuss the findings of an MRI she'd had done the previous week to check for any damage to her heart after her cardiac arrest event in August. We're happy to say that her heart shows no signs of damage. That was such great news to hear. The nurse practitioner we met with said, "You're a very lucky lady." We're relieved and thankful.
We paid a visit to the Lakeville police department a few weeks ago to inquire about meeting with the team that responded on the morning of Tammy's emergency, to determine a suitable time to meet the crew and express our gratitude. An officer we spoke with told us they were having an award ceremony for Officer Russel Spearman, the officer who first responded to our 911 call, the following Wednesday at the start of the shift. Officer Spearman knew nothing of the ceremony, nor did they tell him we would be there.
They had us wait just outside the room where roll call was taking place, then had us go forward as the presentation began—the first order of business. Officer Spearman was surprised to learn that he was receiving an award, and even more surprised to see Tammy. It was an emotional moment for all of us, but especially for Tammy and Russel.
Blogs may have gone out of fashion, but this little blog of mine turns 22 years old today! I don't write to it as often as I used to, but it still plays a vital role in my life as it's where I go to sort through my thoughts. It's served me well in that regard. When I began writing here in my mid-40s, I was a fairly staunch conservative and someone who had never seriously challenged my beliefs. It was only a few years' worth of writing before I began to see cracks and inconsistencies in some long-held politically related beliefs of mine, which were brought to light through contemplation in my writing and with the help of some friends I'd made online through a forum where we discussed music and politics.
We had some heated discussions in the forum that often left me at a disadvantage due to my own willful ignorance, by allowing conservative pundits to be the basis for my limited knowledge. At some point, I left the forum, still stuck in my conservative ways, but never forgetting all of the many differing perspectives I'd learned there.
My blog was instrumental in helping me sort through my thoughts as I undertook the self-reflective work of challenging and dismantling my way of thinking and allowing other perspectives to gain a foothold as I worked to rebuild and understand this entirely different way of thinking. It would take a few years of being away, but I eventually made my way back to the forum to thank them all for opening my eyes to so much of what I'd been blind to. I'm grateful to have had the benefit of some patient people through that forum who didn't give up on me.
If you find yourself facing a similar dilemma for whatever reason, consider starting a blog or journal to sort through your thoughts. There's something about putting my thoughts in written form and making them public that causes me to dive deeper into what I honestly believe. Because when I write them down and share them, I own those words, and I want to be certain I get them right. Also, you can keep your blog/journal private, and nobody has to know, but it will still serve the same purpose.
Having an open mind when undertaking such a task is not only helpful, it's necessary.
That's all I've got.
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