Tag: coronavirus

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Healthcare Heroes: Answer the Call

The call to war is a cough. 

Deployment lasts hour to hour, day to day. 

Healthcare professionals since retired 

Recommit to their oath to do no harm,

Though by stepping up, they voluntarily put themselves directly in harm’s way.

Their education ensures that they understand the dangers when they hear the proverbial doomsday alarm sound.

They answer the call to work on the front lines of streets thankfully abandoned

By the public they’re working ‘round the clock to save.

Heroes in lab coats and scrubs rather than capes,

They stare not down the barrel of a gun,

But through the lens of a microscope to identify the enemy.

Medically tested swabs make the diagnosis clear. 

The strain moved quickly from animal to human, 

Then it passed from human to human and multiplied as it caught like wildfire through dry brush, 

Burning through our misconceptions, ignorance, and the social parameters we use to define our existence: Wealth, status, clout, and country. 

In a time when we’re so convinced that our opinions matter,

Caught in an echo chamber of our own design, 

A slippery virus takes hold and officials demand that we stay home to stop the spread.

The paradox? A pandemic that unites us while it threatens to tear us down. The vast majority take action by doing nothing at all.

The planet started to heal in our absence; an unintended — but welcome — consequence.

What a juxtaposition; 

The fear inspired by a deadly, invisible force that removes the 

Hustle of the everyday also serves to remind us of what truly matters.

Phantasmal reflections of others’ mistakes mirrored in policy, red tape, and latent response;

Like the ghosts of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol appearing before us at breakneck speed,

Demanding repentance for the actions we didn’t commit but have no time to repeat.

As they mourn their dead, we are granted an opportunity to stay a step ahead;

A step at most, but a step so many communities wish they could walk back.

Hindsight — 20/20 and crystal clear — comes not in years, but days.

As we muster the courage to keep the faith as we stagger blindly into our new normal,

I am reminded that

Malcolm Gladwell was the first person I heard theorize that Goliath could not rely on his vision,

But in this battle, as David stands at the ready with his slingshot,

David is the one who cannot see; for in this analogy, Goliath is 

An invisible monster. A virus that killed the very doctor who bravely sounded the alarm.

They are our heroes in lab coats and scrubs.

Far more vulnerable through their repeated exposure to the enemy than am I,

Sitting in front of my computer screen

Typing a message of thanks 

I know they won’t have time to read.

*Please note that I offer an audio version of Healthcare Heroes: Answer the Call on YouTube

If you liked the above, you would really enjoy:

🇨🇦 Musings of a Masterpiece

A work of art narrates its journey through time in this short story. 

In the centuries since its creation, it has witnessed the joy of love and companionship, the heartache of loss, and hardship. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but what if the masterpiece you so admire silently muses at the countless wonders of humanity?

🇺🇸: Amazon.com users, click here.

🇬🇧: Amazon.co.uk users, click here.

Amber Green is a self-published Canadian author and freelance writer. Her short stories can be found here: www.amazon.com/author/ambergreen

© 2020 Amber Green

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COVID-19: Who’s knocking on my door?

I’m not a healthcare professional but as a writer, I seek to summarize and share the information I’ve gathered from various credible sources.

I imagine that you’re taking COVID-19 seriously, but in case you’re in contact with someone who still doesn’t understand the seriousness of the situation, ask them to consider this:

COVID-19 is called the ‘NOVEL’ coronavirus because it’s new. It’s NOT the flu. 

Why does that matter? Various strains of influenza have been circulating for generations, so — even when we can’t fight it off — at the very least, our immune systems are on alert. 

Personified, the flu is the mischievous, industrious child on Halloween who visits the same home wearing different masks to get more candy. Your immune system is a crotchety old man reluctant to answer the door- alert and onto their tricks, he’s ready to tell the flu to keep it moving, season after season. 

COVID-19 is a little old lady who’s new to the neighbourhood. She knocks on your immune system’s door donning a smile, holding a basket of homemade muffins, hiding her sinister agenda by offering false friendship. Since she doesn’t resemble anything dangerous that your immune system has come to recognize and be wary of, your immune system opens the door and welcomes her in. 

By the time a bunch of the conniving little old lady’s big, strong friends storm through your front door, it’s too late for your immune system to gain ground. (In the mildest cases, COVID-19 will threaten your family and leave, perhaps taking your TV on its way; in the worst cases, it’ll pillage everything you own and burn the house to the ground.)

If you’re still not convinced to do your part to stop the spread, various sources say doctors in Italy have had to decide who lives and dies for the past week because their healthcare system is overwhelmed. Healthcare professionals around the world are doing more than their fair share to help our communities; we agree that they’re heroes — don’t force them to take on the role of the Grim Reaper. That’s not why they went through years of postsecondary school. Please respect them. Help them by practicing social distancing to stop the spread.

And while we’re on the subject, now is not the time to begin your career as a stunt double or a trapeze artist. (Whenever possible, save the hospital beds and healthcare resources for those who may suffer from complications due to COVID-19.)

Whatever your interests, the internet allows you to do so much from the comfort of your own home. Teach yourself another language, build a website, catch up on your favourite podcast, take an online exercise class, watch a comedy, take an online course, read an e-book, learn how to play an instrument or write a play or a poem… the list goes on. 

Some communities wish they could go back in time to change their reaction to COVID-19; while that’s not possible, we can honour the mistakes made by acting in accordance with the lessons learned in the past number of weeks. 

Stop the spread. Flatten the curve.

(I posted the above on Facebook, but I thought I’d share it here too. Stay safe!)

If you liked the above, you would really enjoy:

🇨🇦 Musings of a Masterpiece

A work of art narrates its journey through time in this short story. 

In the centuries since its creation, it has witnessed the joy of love and companionship, the heartache of loss, and hardship. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but what if the masterpiece you so admire silently muses at the countless wonders of humanity?

🇺🇸: Amazon.com users, click here.

🇬🇧: Amazon.co.uk users, click here.

Amber Green is a self-published Canadian author and freelance writer. Her short stories can be found here: www.amazon.com/author/ambergreen

© 2020 Amber Green

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Toastmasters: Pass the Mic

Before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, I wrote the below short story inspired by the speech competitions that occur at every level of Toastmasters. (Our district competition was cancelled due to COVID-19, which was a wise decision.)

I’ve been a member of two different Toastmasters groups throughout the years. (If you’re unfamiliar, Toastmasters is an international non-profit organization that provides its members with the opportunity to develop their public speaking and leadership skills. )

To my fellow Toastmasters — regardless of where you are — this story is for you.

Pass the Mic

Clammy palms and a long exhale before walking out on stage. This is not my first speech competition, not by a long shot. 

You would think that I am an experienced speaker: that people pay attention to my words and gestures; that my storytelling techniques are always on point; that everyone waits with bated breath when I pause. But you’d be wrong. 

In fact, I can’t speak at all. I am merely the microphone that helps to amplify your message.

As tens of thousands of Toastmasters prepare to compete in speech contests, I wait in storage, reflecting on the contestants and the countless speeches I’ve heard over the years. From the novice speaker, who was encouraged by a mentor to participate in their very first club competition, to the seasoned Toastmaster, who looks forward to competing at the highest level. As an accomplished speaker, they look back fondly to the early days when nerves rattled them; their voice was shaky, heartbeat raced, and the pounding of their pulse felt as though it radiated through their very fingertips.

Of the many speakers I’ve assisted throughout the years, they’ve all had a message to share, a story to tell. Though I amplify their words for but a moment, they create a lasting impact that will live in the memories of those who hear it. Whether it’s a moment of laughter that reverberates off the walls, scoffs of disbelief, or gasps of surprise that unite a crowd, I take great pride in knowing that I contributed to the success of these speakers in some small way. 

After all, I helped their message reach a person in the back of the room; a person who hadn’t expected to be moved, but they resolve to make changes in their life because of something said. Because they heard. Because they felt akin to an experience illuminated in a speech so carefully crafted and practiced by the dedicated Toastmaster on stage. 

I wish I could amplify my own message. If I could, I would remind you of our history and how far we’ve come. Throughout the decades, our membership has grown to include women and people of every race, ethnicity, gender identity, ability, sexual orientation, and creed, which signals progress, marking important societal shifts. 

Even if figuratively speaking, the mic is passed from Toastmaster to Toastmaster in clubs around the world. Each member is a gatekeeper to their unique story or perspective that has the power to make a lasting impression, to alter perception, and shake loose stagnant thought. 

So tell a tale. Use your voice. It is yours to employ as you inspire, entertain, lead, and educate. 

If you’re ever told to keep quiet, I’ll be there to raise the volume and amplify your voice.

If you liked the above, you would really enjoy:

🇨🇦 Musings of a Masterpiece

A work of art narrates its journey through time in this short story. 

In the centuries since its creation, it has witnessed the joy of love and companionship, the heartache of loss, and hardship. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but what if the masterpiece you so admire silently muses at the countless wonders of humanity?

🇺🇸: Amazon.com users, click here.

🇬🇧: Amazon.co.uk users, click here.

Amber Green is a self-published Canadian author and freelance writer. Her short stories can be found here: www.amazon.com/author/ambergreen

© 2020 Amber Green