Although this is the time of year that many people stop to think about the things they are grateful for, making lists all through the year is one of the most important strategies for living a peaceful life and dissipating stress. I've begun to add this to my journaling in the morning. In the beginning, it was easy. After all, in the early morning I'm grateful for my warm bed, coffee, the sunrise, etc. But the challenge is to write a new list every day. This made me spend more time during the day thinking about the things I'm grateful for so I will have something to write in the morning. I’m now so much more aware of the little blessings I'm given all day long which has increased my happiness and decreased my feeling the world and its people suck. Doing this list made me stop and think about what things in my former 911 Dispatch world I was grateful for. What were those things that made me feel so blessed about the work I was able to do each day. There were many things but here are my top four.
I am grateful for the citizens
This might seem like a sarcastic remark, but I assure you it is not. Although I had my share of people that made me prefer running screaming from the building with my hair on fire and being attacked by bees rather than continue to talk to them for a minute more, I also had so many touching moments. There were the people who really appreciated the help I was able to provide. Their gratitude for my service made me grateful for them needing it. There were also the ones who didn't express their gratitude specifically but because of the circumstance I know I did my job and I did it well. I was able to make a difference in their life and without them I would never be able to feel that accomplished and satisfied. Although some days felt like everyone I talked to was pissed and I was throwing gas on their fire, most days the citizens who called were integral to my job happiness. Without them I would never have learned to be so compassionate and for them I'm grateful.
I am grateful for the officers
My boots on the ground colleagues were spectacular and special. Again, like my citizens there were times and there were officers who made my eyes roll and a heavy sigh loudly emit from my chest every time I heard them clear me, but on the most part the men and women on the street (and at the desks) I worked with were hard working public servants who wanted the best for their community just like I did. We had the same mission and the same goals even though some days it felt like we had opposing ways to get there. I cherished those times when an officer said something that made me laugh or they handled calls in a way that cleared my screen and made my life easier. Often dispatchers are described as mother hens and I definitely felt that way. I felt a huge responsibility to make sure that my officers made it home at the end of their shift. Now, I realize that all I could really control was how well I did my job especially paying attention and being alert. Without all of these wonderful people I would not have learned to be that dedicated to my work ethic and for that I'm grateful.
I am grateful for my co-workers
I cannot express this gratitude enough. My co-workers were my friends, my biggest supporters, my family. They pushed me to be better and they held space for me at my worse. They laughed with me and they cried with me. They were the ones that I shared my deepest feelings with especially those that cropped up from the work. We could talk about the hard calls and the humorous calls. We could be sad together and even disgusted when we just couldn't digest one more ounce of human degradation. My co-workers were humans of a variety of traits: genders, ideology, religion, age, family status. We were all different in many ways. We were also the same in so many others. I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to be with when the crap hit the fan. These relationships have withstood the test of time and even miles of distance. Through them I learned to be open-minded, unconditional in my regard and loyal and for this I am forever grateful.
I am grateful for my pride
Although pride is one of the seven deadly sins, I view the pride that came from having the label "911 Dispatcher" a very good, positive thing. I look back on my time under the headset, the people that I worked with and the people that I helped with such affection. It's why I've continued to research the unmet mental health needs of these amazing people. I may have taken my last 911 call years ago, but I have never left the floor. My heart remains in that room. The fact that I got to spend a period of life doing something worth leaving a piece of me behind makes me infinitely grateful. I carry this gratitude throughout my new life and during this holiday season I hope each and every one of you that wears this label knows that you are appreciated and supported. I am eternally grateful for you.
Michelle Perin
Michelle Perin has been a freelance writer since 2000. In December 2010, she earned her Master’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Indiana State University.
