Sal's Reflections

The 125th celebration of the National League for Nursing in Chicago was a good metaphor for life. The conference opened with a beautiful tribute to the past nursing pathfinders that had significantly improved the health and welfare of the nation.It celebrated all the hurdles that had been overcome but it also clearly said it is not time to rest on laurels. Nursing can and will help shape the path to better health care in the future The past in every life has some ups and downs but it is the present where life really happens. Today is the only day that we can have influence over our lives and there are times when we need to let go of the past.Carrying a red wagon of hurts,failures and regrets can immobile the human spirit.It is in the NOW that life happens and even if it is inch by inch we can more fully live out our dreams.

For months Elaine has been planning for the National League for Nursing’s 125th year celebration in Chicago . It is an awesome responsibility which required extraordinary dedication and diligence to details.The conference so far has been outstanding and all the hours she spent have paid off with outstanding results. The 1500 nurse educators are responsible for the future health care of the nation and it is encouraging to see such talent and dedication . Nurses are always voted as the most trusted occupation and being here and listening to the speakers gives me confidence and belief that the future is bright and their students will embrace the core values they promote.The program ends this evening with a gala dinner to celebrate the past and to renew the pathfinder role of nursing in the future.

Spending two days in St.Louis with two role models was an exceptional gift for me.My brother Russ is seven years older than me and has been one of my pathfinders. Russ was voted most likely to succeed by his high school classmates and they were clairvoyant.He,without a lot of fanfare, has been a guiding post for me since childhood.and everyone privileged to know him has been blessed. This recognition is also true of my son John who has reversed roles on me. No longer am I the teacher but now the student as he like Russ has become a pathfinder. Blessed with a bevy of talents John has a level of kindness that is truly unique. The two days were filled with laughter ,constant chatter but most of all with an awareness of how special these two men are in my life.

Many are worn out by the daily political bombshells that emanate from the executive branch and the congress. Civility is dead and literally nothing gets done. Finger pointing allows this dysfunction to continue and the business of the people is largely ignored. Statistics supporting the desire of the American people are blissfully ignored and lobbyists that have never been elected to anything decide policy behind closed doors.This current morass is unsustainable if we are to be the America that has led the free world for decades.Those in power will continue with the lack of leadership,civility and dedication to more than being re-elected if we just stand by and do nothing.It is time to force the will of the people on those that try to pit us against each other and hide behind partisan rhetoric. This begins by ceasing to feed into their strategies to pit us against each other. We can and must find common ground with those who feel differently on the major challenges that face America.It is time for each of us to become the leaders in this time of political cowardice. The least we can do is vote out those that participate in the charade of the present farce.

Will be off to St.Louis for two days to spend time with my brother and son.We are all die hard Cardinal fans and it will be wonderful whether the Cardinals win or lose.. My brother deserves all the credit for this one because he has organized the entire two days.Hope my brother has better karma then John and I. We have witnessed four personal losses in Boston and St.Louis the last times we saw the team play. Regardless of the outcomes, having this personal time with two of my favorite people on the planet is an extraordinary gift.

The incident regarding actor Geoffrey Owens working at Trader Joe’s is a good reminder that all work and workers should be respected. Yesterday my life was made easier by some who are seen, and some who I will never know. The concierges in my building,my mail person ,the bus driver that drove me to downtown and so many others who behind the scenes every day perform services often taken for granted. There is no shame in being a waitress ,a nursery aid or any other occupation and we should never look down on any person because of their occupation. Many of us have been blessed with enormous opportunities because family members daily performed work that was not easy or prestigious. Day in and day out parents went to factories, stores, offices and a host of other environments often for little pay and notoriety. Their work ,sweat and resilience created educational and employment opportunities for those they loved. I honor their work, grit and sacrifices and hope that I will always be aware that none of us are better than others because of our jobs or bank accounts.

No party has absolute truth and America is best served when there is genuine respect and dialogue between those that lean left and right. Currently our political environment is so far off the rails that I fear we are headed off the cliff. Partisan politics cloud every issue and there are no real statespersons that seem capable of unifying the country on all the major challenges that face us. Institutions that are the backbone of our heritage are attacked relentlessly and facts no longer are considered unless they match immediate political needs. The congress has become a place where reelection is the goal rather than service to country. Add this to a White House that is in complete chaos and the perils that face America are more internal than external. Instead of leading toward ways to negotiate solutions on immigration, poverty ,racism climate change and a host of other mammoth hurdles the focus is on finding anonymous culprits who write editorials. There are no immediate solutions but November is perhaps the last attempt to snatch the chaos before it travels down a path that has no positive ending. Voting out any and all who are beyond redemption is the first step .

The best part of writing “on the Corner” is the feedback from persons who have reconnected with friends after reading it.Life’s journey is so blessed when along the way we develop relationships that are priceless.Every day I wake up with the realization that friendships are treasures that should never be taken for granted. Sometimes we lose touch with friends and get caught up in the thousands of responsibilities that require our attention.It serves us well to let those that have been there for us that we still think fondly of them .Today I will try to connect with a friend that I have not seen in a long time..