The Pact
People often say they hate hospitals.
— Articles of altruism, service, and inspiration
People often say they hate hospitals.
Nowhere are nurses more valued and needed than in war zones. From Dorothea Dix to Clara Barton to Florence Nightingale, these women bravely entered the most intense arenas of tragedy and human suffering armed with courage, compassion, and medical skill sets that resulted in patients and witnesses describing them as “ministering angels.” Their noble souls fought for an end to unhygienic conditions that killed more soldiers by disease than combat. They demanded dignity for their patients, and they struggled to ease the suffering of those affected by the jaws of war. Their legacy continues today. Building on the foundation of hundreds of years of medical advancement, nurses are contributing to saving more lives on and around the battlefield than ever recorded in history. They are masters of trauma treatment and preventative medicine.
When you first meet Shelly Dutch, you’d better be wearing a good pair of shoes. If she’s not counseling clients in an individual, family or group session, she’s probably moving. Tom Farley, who heads The Chris Farley Foundation, describes her as “one of the most dynamic people in teen counseling in Madison, if not the whole state of Wisconsin.” One of her staff members, Cory Divine, states that Dutch is “a powerhouse of energy and conviction.”
Alaskan glaciers gnaw upon mountains grinding them into silt. This silt suspends in water droplets and merges with the earth to form expanses of mud. These mudflats possess properties similar to wet, hardening concrete. During low tide, visitors who are unaware of this dangerous phenomenon, occasionally venture onto these mudflats. They find themselves embedded in this mud, unable to loose their legs from its grip. Mercilessly, the sea inches its way back to high-tide. Without immediate intervention that which began as an exhilarating walk through the power and beauty of nature ends in rude, brutal tragedy.
America is losing the war against obesity. Healthy food is expensive; junk food is cheap. In a highly technological environment, sedentary lifestyles have become the norm. Busy-ness is at an all time high. An information-drenched society uses its mind so much that it is disconnected from the body that houses it. When fathers are trying to pay bills, get the kids to and from school, daycare, practices, and clubs, maintain their relationship with their partner, and advance in a highly competitive world, working out often finds itself bumped to the bottom of the priority list. With all of these challenges and responsibilities, why does physical fitness wind up festering in a foil burger wrapper on the floor of our backseats?
Locker rooms, huddles, dugouts, courtsides, ringsides, and sidelines have heard endless attempts at inspirational speeches by players and coaches.