by Michael Foutz, MD
I can understand this being the case during the pandemic. It’s been a year or so, though, since the height of the pandemic and, yes, we’re having some economic difficulties; but it seems like the irritability level is still high.
I recently met with a physician leader for coffee on the top floor of the new St. Luke’s parking garage downtown. Admittedly, it was an unusual place to confer, but I had two really good reasons:
Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment
which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words.
Most of us have heard about microaggressions in the workplace, a term for brief and commonplace daily, verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities. They communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative prejudicial slights and insults toward any group. The "micro" refers not to the insignificance of these exchanges, but rather to their being so commonplace that they hardly draw any attention. Even though a comment may not be intended to offend or cause harm, it does not change its effect on the receiving party.[i]
With spring finally ready to blow off winter for good this year, and continuing deceleration of COVID infections in our area, our board has deemed it safe to begin regathering our members. It has been a long year of telehealth adaptations, Zoom meetings and conferences, and culling the number of active relationships. But it is time for us to emerge from the wreckage that many members have experienced due to the pandemic.
As we begin to reconvene, let us think about the emotional triage we can provide one another, because nobody has escaped from this year significantly unscathed. By listening carefully to each other’s stories, traumas, triumphs, and trials, we honor each other’s journey through this past year and validate the difficulties and growth that may have come from it.
