As folks who have friended me on Facebook know, I spent most of last night at the emergency room at the local hospital. Long story short, Dad G. finally succumbed to the flu he'd been fighting for a while and collapsed, resulting in call to 911 and hospitalization for re-hydrating. Given Dad's history (heart disease and family history of strokes) we didn't want to take the chance that it was something more serious than dehydration.
What was interesting was the response: while my mom was still on the phone with the 911 dispatcher, a firefighter with EMT training (who is going to school to get his nursing degree, BTW - he's also our neighbor) was on the scene and assessing Dad. In under a minute, there was a police officer at the house; within three minutes a second police officer (the Sergeant in charge) arrived, followed almost immediately by two more firefighters (one is the son of friends of my folks; the other is one of my Scout dads...). And then the fire chief stopped in to make sure everything was okay.
Long story short, Dad's okay. He needs to follow up with his doctor and will more than likely need additional testing, but all major systems are present and accounted for. I may hate the state of Massachusetts, but I love my little town - 911 is definitely not a joke in my town... One thing that really struck me was how many of the people that showed up were folks I knew - some through Scouts, some through town events, some from just having lived here my whole life.
Great place to live - now, how do I move it to NH?
That is all.
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16 comments:
Just out of curiosity, is your town's EMS paid, volunteer, or mixed?
That sounds like a response you'd get out of a volunteer department, where members are listening in even when they're off duty. People tend to put things aside to show up for their neighbors or people they know when they would let the duty crew handle it otherwise.
Also, glad your dad is okay, and here's hoping the follow-up turns out good.
The Minnesota farmer/essayist Brent Olson has a story about when his wife was in a car wreck. He looked up at one point and realized that he knew every single soul directing traffic, tending the injured and putting out any flames. Later he went to the county fair to get some food and not only was he passed in by someone he knew, but literally everybody he met stopped and asked how the Mrs. was doing and to let them know if they could help. "That's why I live in a small town."
Glad your dad is OK and hope the docs don't find anything interesting.
LittleRed1
Glad your dad is Ok Jay.
And I can testify to the superiority of a small town!
You just articulated the best, perhaps only, argument I would accept for why you live where you do.
Glad your dad is doing okay.
Jake,
EMS is paid; the firefighters are a mix of paid and volunteer (we have a handful of fulltime FF, most are volunteers).
The first responder was certainly just listening to the dispatcher, because he was at the house in literally under a minute.
Dad's doing much better, thanks. He was released about 45 minutes after I left the hospital (of course) and has followups with his doctors today.
LittleRed,
It was pretty funny, because I'm watching folks come in and I realize that I know the vast majority. They were exceedingly professional, but also personal, which helped a lot.
Thanks Packetman!
ASM826,
In all seriousness, living where I do helps with the general suckitude that is MA. There are other places where I know I wouldn't have lasted this long... :)
Jay,
I think your experience is the strongest argument for "Why I stay" when people ask you why you live in Mass.
The scene in 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" comes to mind in which Costner gives his little speech about "one man defending his home" when convincing the forest-dwellers to fight.
Even though it appears Mass and Cali are lost to "Free America", there's value in continuing the fight from within using the soap and ballot boxes as long as possible.
Similar thing happens where I grew up, but my old man is still on the volunteer FD there, so it hedges the bets a little. When my Granddad had a stroke, the people that showed up were there in less than 10 (not bad, considering everyone was at their real jobs, and we are 5 miles outside of a very small town) and two of them I had known since I was 6. As a plus, you knew enough of them that one worries a bit less about cops overreacting.
Here's to your Dad being ok, Jay.
Sorry your dad had a scare, and I'm glad he's doing all right.
I think what you're describing with your neighbors pretty neatly sums up the difference between the people of a city (state, nation) and its government. I can see why you stay.
Secede from Mass. and join NH.
Tell Boston you're all Republicans and they'll be happy to get rid of you.
Prayers said for your father and the Smarter Half will do a lap around the beads as well.
Best wishes to your Dad, Jay and the rest of the clan!
Perhaps... if you move to NH, you don't take it with you but YOU turn into IT.
Maybe when your new NH neighbors call for help it will be YOU that shows up to help them out. Perhaps their kids will know you through scouts. ;)
Well wishes for your Dad, Jay.
Instead of trying to take it with you to NH, find a way to import enough free staters to turn the tide in MA.
I think picking up my entire town and carrying it to NH would be easier, HT...
Wind and water wear a mountain down a grain of sand at a time. People in New Hampshire continuously complain that they are becoming more and more like Massachusetts. I recently was watching an episode of "How the States Got Their Shapes" where people in northern Maine were complaining that southern, coastal Maine should be broken off into another separate state called "North Massachusetts". It was amusing to see the correspondent learn the meaning of the term "Ma**holes". Vermont has similar issues, but they at least have Constitutional Carry.
In Florida, a popular bumper sticker on pickup trucks states "I really don't care how you used to do it up North".
Start on wearing down the mountain locally. Be active in the Scout Troop and at Town Meeting. In the neighborhood of Massachusetts where I grew up, the president of the local neighborhood association that followed my father in office later went on to become a state representative. Unfortunately, my father and I used to strongly disagree on how that man voted.
Have as your goal changing things enough that people want to move TO Massachusetts for something other than the better Welfare benefits. Moving FROM Massachusetts may change little but your mailing address. You are always one state Legislature vote away from having more of your life adversely impacted. To the people of northern New England, you will always have enough residual cultural remnants as your baggage that you will always be a "Ma**hole" to them.
WV: ledrush - that feeling one imparts when you dump a full magazine to the center of mass.
Thanks for the update, Jay. I'm glad your father's doing better... and VERY glad that he found himself in such good hands.
(No, sorry, I don't follow you on Facebook. I check my Facebook account two or three times a year, whether I need to or not.)
Keep the faith!
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