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Jan 03, 2011, 12:52 PM
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Member Since: Jun 2007
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 5,518
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I'm often accused of being a "do-gooder" and "bleeding heart." I don't understand why it would be inconceivable to care about the welfare of other people. I guess many have been programmed to block out the world and think only of themselves. It sounds good on paper, but it doesn't play out very well on the streets.
My vocation was in the "do-gooder" business, but it's not a recognized "do-gooder" profession. I was a secretary and enjoyed supporting great leaders. As a kid, I considered my father to be a great leader, and I always enjoyed helping him around the house.
I was working at a hospital when the head of pediatrics asked me to be his secretary. He was/is a pediatrician and pediatric cardiologist. It was mandatory to care for our patients. After seeing what our patients and their families had to endure, it was very easy to care about their welfare. I'd wake up in a cold sweat sometimes hoping I had everything set in place for some kid's heart surgery the next morning - hoping a simple mistake would not delay a near-emergent life-saving procedure.
I had to care about the doctors too because my boss was the head of the attending and resident staff - who came from all over the world. They also needed to be taught how to "care" for their patients, as if the patient were their own beloved family member. My compassion for our doctors developed after getting to know them and hearing their personal stories.
That was a LONG time ago, but I still care about all those people, their families, and their patients as much as I did back then. I can't help but hope that life has treated them well.
So what's wrong with me? 
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