Power of One
OpEd from the desk of Transporter Editor Reed Hollinshead
Several years ago, I worked on a series of short stories that were part of the 100th anniversary of the hospital in the town in eastern Oregon where I graduated high school. It was known as Holy Rosary Hospital back then, but is now a part of the St. Alphonsus health care system.
I was able to research some of the pioneers in the early days of the hospital, and one of those assignments brought me face-to-face with the youngest daughter (Ann) of one of those early heroes, Sandy (Doc) Sanders, who had passed away a decade earlier.
Doc was a master of the tender interactions between patient and doctor.
Doc was the team physician for the local high school football team for decades. Sometimes, after a game, as Doc tended to a player, he’d get a call from a patient. He was tending to a player once when he got a call from a fellow WW II Veteran.
Doc steered the gray, fish-tailed Cadillac with Batman-style wings to a little drafty and dilapidated home, where the occupant had developed a loud, torturous cough.
As always, with house calls, there was an exchange of greetings and updates on family and friends. Then Doc proceeded with the examination and handed the man a prescription.
“Oh, Doc," said the man,” You know I don't have any money."
Doc opened his wallet and said, “You do now, friend."
That’s the legacy Doc Sanders left.
It is probably a safe bet that at some point in all of our lives, there has been that one individual – parent, sibling, old friend or new acquaintance – who impacted us so strongly that the influence lives on even today.
Society has gotten more fast-paced over the years, and often the most noticeable casualty is the sense of personal one-on-one civility, an expression of genuine appreciation to those who have poured into us. It may be a mentor. It may be an acquaintance. That’s a challenge to me, and I’m passing along that challenge to you – show your appreciation. Write a card, give them a call, or take the time to say it in person.
In day-to-day life, we often keep our heads down and nose to the grindstone. But if you look up once in a while, and notice who's watching, you may find that you are the One for someone else. Then the real challenging stuff begins!