What Last Night’s Trip to the ER Taught Me About 2022

Image source: Free for Canva Pro by LPETTET

2022 is going out with a bang in the Anderson household, or rather, with a thud and a crack! My sweet, 16-year-old daughter, Amelia, took a hard spill at the rollerskating rink that fractured her left wrist.

I had intended on writing a reflection piece about 2022. I never realized that a 10-hour stint in the ER would provide inspiration.

Here is my one observation from last night’s marathon night in the ER: our communities have a long way to go to recover from the collective trauma of the last couple of years.

Amelia and I spent six hours in the ER waiting room. That’s a lot of people-watching time. I might be accused of being dramatic in my analysis as people visiting the ER are usually having some of their worst days.

With that caution noted, allow me to make three quick observations from the ER that are analogous to what I think our broader community is experiencing.

Observation #1: There were a lot of desperate people alone in the ER.

I watched one elderly woman languish and moan in a wheelchair by herself with little comfort, save the nurse who attended to her.

I can’t help but watch people with a Dad’s perspective. That woman is someone’s daughter, perhaps sister, and definitely someone’s neighbor. But there she sat for hours writhing in agony all alone. She may have been struggling with a mental health issue. I am no doctor, but she seemed to calm dramatically when the nurse spoke with her.

I confess I was annoyed by the drunk, seemingly homeless man who sprawled out on the in-demand sofas and pushed into the space of people seated nearby. He was oblivious to anyone around him and repeatedly voiced that he was going to “f*$!” someone up for taking his backpack. My compassion got the better of me as I pictured him as one of my own students. How the twists, turns, and unexpected events of life shape and mold us.

Again, that man is someone’s son, perhaps brother, and definitely someone’s neighbor. His most calm moments were when the nurse brought him a cup of cold water. He whispered, “What a blessing.” I couldn’t help but think about Jesus’s words in Matthew 10:42 about the simple blessing of sharing cold water with someone in need.

There are just too many people in our communities trying to make it on their own. We were not made to live socially-distanced, isolated lives.

In 2022, after two years of social distancing, remote work, and virtual worship services, we are too disconnected. The isolation is really poignant when people are at their lowest in the ER.

Observation #2: There were probably people who needed to be somewhere else than the ER.

I am not making a medical evaluation. I am sure experts have written extensively about the overuse of our emergency rooms to treat non-emergency events.

There is a young man I know who makes frequent and unnecessary trips to the ER out of desperation. He needs something the ER can’t offer. I overheard at one point that there were 120 people waiting in the ER. Apparently many waited until after the holidays to plan their trip to the ER. I am not doubting that most of these people needed some type of medical attention.

I am making an observation that people are turning anywhere they can for help. As a school leader, I see it all the time. Just a few days ago I gently pushed back against a local leader who suggested that schools need to do more to solve a particular local issue. This leader could not think of another institution that could solve the issue. This leader had to endure my rant that schools are struggling to do a good job of simply educating kids and that schools cannot long bear the burden of also raising society’s kids. We need parents and families to do that work and then schools can effectively partner to round out a child’s academic development.

Schools and emergency rooms can’t remedy all of society’s woes. Local police can’t arrest our way out of communal decay.

We need healthier marriages, stronger families, deeper friendships, sustainable nonprofits, connected churches, and neighborhood organizations that build us up. When people need help, they should have more obvious places to turn than the ER.

At the end of 2022, I am wondering if we collectively realize the importance of healthy community institutions.

Observation #3: The institution seemed stretched really, really thin.

That 10-hour wait is a symptom of an overtaxed health system. I overheard that floors of the hospital were closed due to staffing shortages.

The nurses, doctors, and technicians were awesome. All of them were patient, kind, and attentive in the face of a marathon night. No one seemed even close to snapping. I am so grateful for these incredible men and women.

I wonder how long the system will hold. The shortage of nurses is real and compounding the challenge. I am sure the trauma of COVID caused people to run from the profession.

Our institutions are stretched really, really thin. Every police chief I spoke with over the last several weeks (almost all 17 York County departments) is looking for police officers. Schools can’t find teachers. Restaurants can’t find kitchen help. Fast food isn’t fast anymore. I spent 25 minutes at one local chain waiting for a small order recently. The employees and leaders of our institutions and businesses are being pushed to the brink. The work feels like it is getting harder.

We have to get to the work of rebuilding our institutions. Our communities need healthy, functional hospitals, churches, schools, and profitable businesses. We desperately need a more functional government that brings us together for proven solutions.

2022 put more strain on our desperately weakened institutions.

I’ll admit that I might have just had one long night in the ER, but what I saw on the faces of those people in the ER, and the strain on the system was something I have been observing throughout 2022.

We are all more connected than we know. In 2023 we must energetically take up the task of building better systems of care so that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.