What It's Like To Be
From postal worker to film producer, what is it like to do what you do?
Public Service Part II
While working as an EMT my partner and I were sent to a car rental place across from Newark Airport. This was the farthest part of our coverage area. When we got there we found a man who was 6'4" and a good 230 lbs. He was dangerously close to the highway at rush hour. We knew that there was no way were going to be able to handle this guy by ourselves so we tried to call for backup. The air traffic was really heavy, we didn't have repeaters on our radios so we kept getting stepped on when we tried to get help. We knew we had to get him away from the highway so we approached him slowly. I said, " Excuse me Sir you need to come away from there. You could get badly hurt and we might cause a car accident." Well, he didn't seem to like that idea so he started chasing me around the parking area. I managed to get around him a couple of times but honestly. I'm only 4'11' so one of his strides was at least six of mine. He cornered me against a wall, the parking lot was kind of shaped like a U." I was trying to duck under him but then he threw a punch at my head. I put my hand up to shield my face. My fingers were splayed open. He took the opportunity to grab my hand interlocking my his fingers into mine. He then yanked me up off the ground and immediately separating my right shoulder. He then extended his arm up as high as he could which left me dangling on my tip toes sort of twisting back and forth. It hurt like living hell but I didn't make a sound. I was afraid to scream out because I didn't know what he would do. He didn't speak to me, not once. It took a while for help to arrive so I stroked his stomach with my free hand telling him help was coming. My partner was great. He kept talking to me to keep me calm. We talked about the jackass who was taping this entire event instead of calling 911. We talked to his co-workers and asked them to call 911. I think they were all just to scared to move. They did however give us some further information which might have been useful before this started. They told us that his name was Windell, he worked there, but when he went on a break he went into the bathroom and came out with white powder on his face under his nose. We found out a couple of days later that he had snorted cocaine and Haldol , two drugs that can cause hallucinations, violence and other things. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream but I just couldn't. My partner, Bob , was awesome. He didn't want to leave me to get to our ambulance and kept trying and trying to get help on the air. When he finally did his focus was 100% on me. He even made me laugh a bit. He listened to me when I told him what I wanted done at my funeral. I told him that no one should bring red roses because my Mom hated them because Dad had given them to her during a tough time in their relationship. I also asked him to have someone play the song , " Lady" STYX version for her and the song " Wild Horses, for my sister Liz. I also asked that the song " The Flame" be played for my Dad even though he wouldn't be there. He had died in 1991 but I still wanted him to be at my funeral and this was the song he said reminded him of me. Bob just listened. He didn't try to tell me that I was going to be alright because we both knew that might not be the case. We both knew that at any moment he could snap my neck. I just kept stroking his stomach. That powder blue T-shirt will never leave my mind.
Teresa WegrzynPublished 4 years ago in JournalThe Dirt Whisperer
It’s 1930, six ironworkers sit on a girder about 1,000 feet above the Manhattan streets and eat lunch. It’s an iconic photo meant to symbolize the skill, bravery and dedication of the men who built one of the world’s most enduring and famous structures – the Empire State Building. While the workers on the ground at the Empire State Building site didn’t get the publicity granted the high-flying girder walkers, the heavy equipment operators who cleared the site between 33rd and 34th streets on Fifth Avenue and anchored all 102 floors to the ground proved critical to the safety, stability, legacy and longevity of the skyscraper.
Frank RacioppiPublished 4 years ago in JournalPublic Service
Hi, I'm Teresa. I'm 56 yrs old now but when I was in my 20's and 30's I was an EMT ( Emergency Medical Technician not Elevator Maintenance Technician). I started out pretty late at the age of 26. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I was in retail for years, an office manager for a Home Health Company and I cleaned houses for a bit. I was struggling with depression for quite a while and working these jobs didn't help. I had always had an obsession with helping people, trying to make the world a better place. I had friends in High School who were volunteers on our township First Aid and Rescue Squad. I was really interested in doing this but I was told I was to sensitive to do that kind of work and it would destroy me. I believed that for several years but when I saw an advertisement in our local paper that the North Brunswick First Aid and Rescue Squad was in need of volunteers I answered the ad and was on my way to finally doing something that I loved for 12 years.
Teresa WegrzynPublished 4 years ago in JournalPart-time Driver, Part-time Listener
It was the final straw for me. In 2013, I decided to quit my job and work for a ride share service. I was on the brink of a mental breakdown. I had worked so hard to get into a position of management at work, but I was constantly criticized and disrespected by the owners of the business. I put in my two weeks with no concrete plan. I had decided to work for Lyft or Uber as a driver. I had a car and I would most certainly have the time for it in two weeks. I took my driver course at a local AutoZone and got a background check done within a week. I was ready to set a new challenge for myself. Especially because there were three challenges that I was going to face with this new occupation: my anxiety with driving, my introvert personality, and finding joy in my new job.
Understand Writing as a Process
If a writer declares no process exists during composition, they are either unaware, truly gifted, unpublished, or lying. Genuine writers understand that writing evolves through a process and when one is established, writing becomes tolerable, for many rewarding and when we are lucky, exhilarating for the writer and the reader.
Brenda MahlerPublished 4 years ago in JournalHow to Identify the Perfect Electrician?
Electricity has certainly become a crucial aspect of all our lives, and this supports the technological advancements which we thoroughly enjoy in our daily lives. Most of the appliances that we use in our houses and offices require electricity for functioning & all the entertainment gadgets like televisions and radios also require electricity for their operations. During the summer months, electricity is being used to cool our homes and offices and to heat your home when the weather is hot.
Jessica CurryPublished 4 years ago in Journal9 Steps to Writing a Book
We live in an age where college degrees are a dime-a-dozen, jobs are scarce, and opportunities seem limited. But change is the nature of the universe, and when one door closes another one opens. We all know this, but we also know that finding our path in life is like walking in the dark.
Ariel M. ScisneyPublished 4 years ago in JournalBecoming an Actor In Australia
From a very young age, acting has always been a passion of mine, acting at every chance I got even if I didn't realise I was acting at the time. Since then I have developed my skills and grown more and more love for the craft.
Tristan KolioPublished 4 years ago in Journal- Top Story - July 2020
The World of Hairdressing in a COVID Existence
No one on the frontlines of the hair industry really wants to talk about a pandemic. I don't mean influencers like Brad Mondo who have the luxury of being able to stay at home and review TikTok hair tutorials for income. I mean your regular shmegular hair dressers at Fantastic Sam's who have to service 10 clients a day to make a livable wage.
Lillie SuperstarPublished 4 years ago in Journal Being an Essential Worker
One can stay with confidence that no one saw this coming, but we should've been prepared for it. On another note, how does one prepare themselves for a pandemic? Four months have passed and so much has changed in the world around us. For those of us that were considered essential workers, our work life was turned upside down. I work at a bakery and when the stay-at-home order was put into place, business slowed down dramatically. It was hard to accept that many employees were going to see a cut in their hours. This was before any talk of a stimulus check and hazard pay. It was the most anxious feeling I had personally felt in a long time. Having already dealt with anxiety on a day to day basis, I knew the only thing I could do was continuously acknowledge my emotions and let them pass through me. I am in control of my emotions and how I react to the situation. I can protect myself and my loved ones as long as I wear my mask and gloves. Then I found out that my co-worker tested positive for COVID-19. I had become so used to my new sense of normal at work, just for this to happen.
Write About What You Love To Do
When you're a writer, then you want to write about anything you love to write about. You have a lot of things to say that is close to your heart. But you don't want to niche all out because otherwise your thought will not be heard. I get you. I am there with you too.
Agnes LaurensPublished 4 years ago in JournalCruise Ship Diaries Part 13
Crew turnover in the cruise industry is massive and as much as head office would like to have the same team in place for a whole season, rotations made that nigh on impossible. Halfway through my first contract I was about to work with my third different photo manager in a matter of months, I was also about to get my third roomate of the contract as Morne was about to be transhipped.
Neil GregoryPublished 4 years ago in Journal