Not Your Typical End Of The Year Column

Well, it’s the end of another year. Heck, it’s the end of a decade. I’m surrounded by newspapers, magazines and websites publishing their “Best and Worst” lists, letting readers know which books, movies and music they should seek and avoid. They’re gathering up their lists of the year’s highlights (and lowlights) including the inauguration of a new president, an empty hot air balloon, a pair of presidential party crashers, and the release of an epic, $300 million film that took 15 years to make.

Though I am tempted to do the same, I’ll try to refrain. I mean, does anyone really care to know what my favorite books (“The Help”, “Columbine”), movies (“The Hangover”, “Zombieland”), or television programs (“Modern Family”, “Glee”) are this year?

You’ve heard me rant about the Henne family, who fooled an entire nation into thinking that their boy Falcon (really…Falcon?) was free-floating in a homemade hot air balloon. Do I need to rehash it again? (Ok, does anyone else notice that their last name is pretty close to a word that is a slang term for buttocks? Coincidence? I think not!) And while we’re on the subject, can I just applaud the fact that both mother and father were sentenced jail time for their little stunt? If only someone can hand them an invoice for the personnel and equipment utilized for the “rescue effort”, I’d be a happy woman.

But I digress. Getting back to the fact that I’m not going to write one of those “best of” columns, doesn’t everyone love the new Target? That sure was a highlight in our year, especially when it came to Christmas shopping. And speaking of new construction, this year also saw the groundbreaking of Friendship Home, a respite facility for adults with developmental disabilities, located on the property at the United Church of Christ in Norwell. We also saw the groundbreaking for the new Hanover Senior Center, being built just a stone’s throw from my own home (so convenient for when I pick up my Meals on Wheels). And hey, how ‘bout that new high school? We were thrilled to see construction begin. We were devastated when an injunction stopped it. We were thrilled (again) when the injunction was lifted. Never a dull moment where this high school is concerned, is there?

And by the way, was anyone surprised by the fact that Cathy Harder-Bernier won the Spirit of Hanover award this year? (No? Neither was I). Aside from all the other volunteer work that Cathy does, she maintains one of our most valuable resources, Around Town on the Web. Nice job, Cathy.

While Swine Flu (sorry, H1N1) was certainly a lowlight of the year (those darned Mexican pigs spoiled spring break for everyone), I can’t help but be impressed by the way our town responded with their vaccination clinics. While other towns (most other towns, I might add) reserved their vaccine supply for their own residents, our town generously shared our supply with others. Who’s up for adopting the motto, “The Town That Cares ”?

If I were going to write one of those end-of-the-year columns, (which I’m not) I’d have to include all the famous people who died this year, like Patrick Swayze, Farrah Fawcett, and of course, Michael Jackson. Somewhere, the King of Pop is singing while Johnny Castle twirls one of Charlie’s Angels ‘round the dance floor. (Nobody puts Farrah in the corner).

I’d also have to mention how 2009 was a sad, sad year for Red Sox fans. Not only did our boys not make it to the World Series, we had to watch those devils in pinstripe waltz off with the trophy. And speaking of sports, was this the year to knock sports figures off their pedestals? As if it wasn’t bad enough that Aquaman Michael Phelps was photographed with water pipe in hand (performance enhancer?), we had to endure the whole Tiger Woods saga (Who knew that Elin Woods could slice, hook and chip as well as her husband?)

Yes, those year-end columns are so clichéd, I’m certainly going to avoid writing one at all costs. Because when it comes right down to it, it’s much better to look to the future than to dwell on the past, right?

Happy New Year!

Life Lessons from a Flu Clinic

I'm all about learning life lessons whenever the opportunity presents itself, and this weekend I learned two: "Volunteerism is its own reward" and "Share and share alike."
Our town held its first H1N1 flu clinic this weekend. Like many parents, I worried about getting my children vaccinated. Our doctor's office has not yet received the vaccine (they ran out of the regular flu vaccine before my kids could get it.) Friends were already reporting their children home with the flu; it seemed only a matter of time before one of my kids caught it. So the fact that our town was offering a clinic for pregnant women, children, and caregivers came as a relief.

With a limited number of doses available, I formulated my plan to camp out at the High School to insure my children's vaccine. Hmmm, the clinic was due to start at 11 a.m. Would nine be early enough? Should I get there at six? This was a bit like sleeping over for concert tickets, except this time the stakes were higher. How to work out the logistics when my son had an 8:00 a.m. soccer game and my husband and I were down to one car?

The solution came in the form of an email, asking for volunteers for the clinic. Though my other volunteer work is for altruistic reasons, here was a chance to volunteer and perhaps get something in exchange. I quickly emailed Nancy, the clinic's organizer and volunteered my services. In my email, I mentioned that I had planned to wait on line for the vaccine for my children. By volunteering, could I insure that they would receive the vaccine?
　
Nancy's reply? "Thank you for expressing an interest in helping us at our first in a series of H1N1 flu clinics. Volunteerism is a wonderful thing that many say is it's own reward but we will be offering immunizations to our volunteers and/or families if they meet the criteria of this first clinic." Snap! Nancy had my number. She saw right through my plan. I was tempted to email her back a list of my unselfish volunteer credentials (Meals on Wheels, Sunday School, Lego Robotics), but I figured it best not to rock the boat. If getting my children the vaccine meant me coming off as a scheming, calculating person, so be it. (Really, I'm not...much).

Two days prior, I learned that the clinic would be open to residents of any surrounding town, as long as the participants met the criteria. Say what? With a limited number of vaccines, why not reserve it for our own residents first? A mother from a neighboring town told me she was planning to attend our clinic because she was taking her kids to Aruba for Thanksgiving and was worried about them catching germs on the plane (you can imagine how I frothed over that one). Many towns were reserving the vaccine for their residents. Why not us? I tried to rally as many Hanover friends as possible, urging them to get to the clinic.

On the day of the clinic, I reported to the High School, only to see a long line of people waiting patiently in the hall. Some of them had been there for over three hours. "That could have been me." I thought. My role as a greeter was to help register people in line and bring them to the nurse's area once their paperwork was processed. As I worked my way down the line with the other volunteers, I saw both familiar and unfamiliar faces. The first person in line was a mother from Hanson, who had been there since 6 a.m. I thought I would feel anger. This woman was potentially taking a vaccine from one of my friend's children. But my anger was gone. Wouldn't I do the same thing for my children if Norwell or Scituate or Abington had an open clinic? As I helped residents and non-residents alike, I was ashamed of my initial petty, territorial feelings. We were parents without borders, willing to do whatever it took to insure the safety of our children. Share and share alike.

With so many people desperate for the vaccine, I imagined the clinic would be a zoo. But Nancy and her legion of volunteers kept everything running smoothly. Nurses, clerical workers, EMTs, firefighters and police all worked together to keep the line moving and get parents and children through as quickly as possible. Each time I led a family back to the nurse's area, (the final step in their vaccination journey) I felt a lift. While the kids were often anxious about the vaccination itself, the parents all shared the same expression of relief: their kids would finally be protected. They were effusive in their gratitude, but honestly, I was grateful to play a small part in something so important to the community.

There will be more flu clinics in the weeks ahead (Nancy's already planning ways to improve the next one) and though my children will have been vaccinated by that time, I'm hoping to participate again. Because Nancy was right: Volunteerism is its own reward.

My Changing Feelings about The Flu

Can I admit that I struggled with this week’s column?

Actually, that's only half true. My idea for this week's column was my family's experience with the flu. It seemed like a timely issue. What with Autumn upon us and the cold and flu season in full swing several weeks early, I wanted to make the point that while the flu should be taken seriously, we shouldn't panic unnecessarily about it.
You see, so far everyone in my household has had the flu (except for me.) Each year we all get flu shots. My reasoning is that my husband and 11-year old son are both asthmatic so a dose of flu could be potentially lethal. If my older son gets the vaccine, I can't deny my younger son, can I? And I personally get a shot for myself, my rationale being that if I were to get sick, who would take care of everyone else?

So, last year we all got the flu shot. And then in June, just weeks after thousands returned from Mexico bringing back more than just cheap jewelry and souvenir t-shirts, it hit our house. My asthmatic son got on the bus to middle school one morning, seemingly healthy, and came home with a cough. After spiking a fever during the night, we headed to the doctor who swabbed my son and confirmed a diagnosis of Influenza A (she later asserted that though he had not been tested for H1N1, she was certain that he had had it.) Within a day, my husband came down with it. My fears had been realized. My "high risk" husband and son had the flu. Both spent several days in bed, chugging liquids and taking Tylenol around the clock. Though his breathing wasn't compromised, my son had to spend a day in the ER being re-hydrated. But within a week, both recovered.

Last week, my younger son woke with a fever. When he complained of a headache and a sniffy nose, I booked an appointment with our physician. Sure enough, the diagnosis was "flu-like virus". Here we go again. My son took to my bed (yes, my bed), chugged Gatorade, popped Tylenol and watched enough Cartoon Network to memorize entire episodes of "Chowder" by heart. And then he recovered. As I type this, he is getting dressed for school.

As I wrote this weekend, my words came easily. I was able to blend my usual humor with just a touch of snarkiness: Do we really need to be so panicked about the flu? For goodness sake, it's not Ebola or the Plague! Yes, we should take precautions, like hand washing and flu vaccines, but let's not give in to national panic and start buying plastic and duct tape (remember that?) Looking back on my original column, I marvel at the smugness and superiority that permeated my words. I went to bed confident that my column was ready to submit.

And then, this morning I noticed a story in the paper about a healthy Hingham teenager who contracted H1N1 while at college in Ohio. Both his roommates had it as well, along with 300 other students. His roommates recovered. Tragically, he did not. How could I, in good conscience, run my original column? Out of respect for that mother in Hingham, I cannot.

So, it's okay to be apprehensive about the flu, but be sensible. Don't panic. Despite your best efforts, your child may get it. You may get it. But God willing, you will recover, just as my family did.

And now I realize how truly blessed we are.