Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of at a loss for words. The events in Orlando this past weekend – the actions of a sick, twisted gunman – are tragic beyond belief, and if you’re anything at all like me, they have left you feeling some combination of anger, nausea, disbelief, disgust, shock, and sadness.
Most of our Facebook feeds have become even more polarized than usual, with the usual crowd of opportunists rushing to be the first to push a political agenda, social agenda, and to tell you how right they were all along. Don’t you see – we all have to be armed, it’s the only way we can feel safe. No, no, no. Don’t you see – we need stricter gun controls. This horrific abomination happened because we have too many guns/gun laws that are too lax/gun laws that are too strict/not enough guns (*delete as applicable depending upon your earnestly-held convictions).
The chances are also pretty strong that you’re as sick of this shit as I am. I don’t know who’s right and who’s wrong here, and neither do you. Honest. We’re all so certain. We’re all so convinced. And this is leading to some epic levels of assholery and douchebaggery from the high and mighty, self-appointed experts.
Personally, I don’t know the answer to America’s mass-shooting problem. And I’m pretty sure I won’t figure it out tonight. So, you know what? I’m going to do something positive instead. I’m going to tell you about something good that happened on Saturday.
I gave one of my haunted history tours up at the Stanley Hotel that day, starting late in the afternoon. It was a fun tour, and the customers were kind enough to tip well, which is always appreciated. Two young fellows hung back at the end of the tour and approached me with camera in hand.
“We’re independent film-makers,” the taller of the two said without preamble. “We’re traveling across the country on a road trip, making a movie as we go.”
It turns out that the movie is about people of influence. These lads are interviewing people for 1-2 minute segments and asking them to discuss a person who has greatly influenced their life and the world in general for the better; kind of a “Who’s Who” of really awesome people.
“You seem like you enjoy telling stories, so we were hoping you’d like to contribute. Give us a minute or two about a person who has influenced you, and the world, for the greater good.”
I told them I’d be happy to, but then came the hard part. I’ve met some incredible people during my forty-two-and-some-change years on the planet; how the heck was I going to narrow it down to just one?
“Just go with your gut and pick one,” they urged me.
The person I finally settled on was a man named Thom Dick, although he also goes by the name of Thom Hilson. Thom was one of the earliest members of the first ambulance company I ever worked for, the world-class and much-missed Pridemark Paramedics. Pridemark was renowned for its first rate standard of medicine (it was a hard company to get hired at and easy to get booted from, particularly in the early days) and regularly made the cover of EMS trade journals such as JEMS.
Thom’s area of specialization wasn’t medicine however, despite the fact that he was a highly skilled and educated clinician. Thom was all about what he liked to call ‘people care.’ Thom’s concern was less about how to be an EMT or a paramedic (after all, there were plenty of classes and books for that) and more about why. And he reached some pretty interesting conclusions, so much so that he felt compelled to write them down…in magazine articles at first, but finally Thom codified them in his EMS piece de resistance, People Care.
People Care is, hands down, the single most important book ever written in the field of emergency medicine. 
This is a book that, from start to finish, from cover to cover, is all about one thing: how, and most importantly why, we must be kind to each other, and above all, why we must take care of ourselves and one another. Thom talks earnestly about caring for the homeless, the bereaved and grieving, those who have lost everything – whether by their own choices or through being dealt a shitty hand, it matters not a jot in Thom’s eyes. There but for the grace of God (or whatever it is you choose to believe in) go I, and if we’re looking down on somebody from above, then we have a responsibility to reach out a hand and help them up onto their feet again.
A slim volume it may be, but People Care carries an impact far beyond its size. It makes for powerful reading, and it is no exaggeration to say that if you are an EMS provider on the verge of burnout, this book may be just the tonic you need to turn things around again. It should be on the shelf of every EMS provider, and can teach those who do not work in the field medicine some pretty inspiring lessons too.
Because now, with the world apparently going to hell in a hand basket, caring is more important – no, crucial – than ever before. Thanks to the anonymous impersonality of the Internet, it has never been easier to be casually cruel toward our fellow human beings. The only real antidote is kindness, humility, and a huge dollop of compassion and empathy.
I tried to boil all of that down to ninety seconds worth of babble, and that’s what I said to the two filmmakers. They used the gorgeous scenic backdrop of Estes Park to offset the less-than-attractive drag factor that is my face, and after playing the footage back, pronounced themselves done and satisfied with a quick thumbs up.
Then the shorter of the two leaned in closely and told me that he was a pre-med student, hoping to head to medical school. “Those sound like great principles. What was that guy’s name and book title again?”
“People Care by Thom Dick.”
“I’ll look out for it.”
We shook hands and I wished them both well, then went off to do my second tour of the night. Thom had been gracious enough to give the graduation speech to my last class of EMTs at Front Range Community College in Longmont a few weeks ago, and had told me then that he was looking at the possibility of a third edition of his book. I for one cannot wait to read it.
We could all stand to be a little less judgmental these days (me most especially). Compassion, humility, empathy, and kindness are in sorely short supply. Whenever I need a reminder of that, I go over to the shelf and pull down my copy of Thom’s book. It doesn’t take long for me to remember that in the end, life really is all about People Care.
Thanks, Thom.
