The Nation's Health

What is Experience?!

I have a list as long as my arm of blogs I want to write. I can assure you that this wasn't one of them but needs must. Before I started my blog, I had never written a thing. One day I had a rant at my crew mate and he said;


"Seriously, you should write a blog, seeing you that angry was funny as fuck"So I did! I haven't looked back since. I thoroughly enjoy it and that is why I do it. It's a forum where I can share my feelings openly and that was an outlet I'd never had. I read various blogs beforehand, some of which inspired me to write mine. They can be found in the 'Top Blogs' page on my website. I never thought my blog would become popular and from the outset I said very clearly the purpose of my writing;

"I’m writing this blog to vent frustrations, share experiences, provoke debate and educate people as to what life on the road is like. I don't have the wealth of experience that many do but I don't think you need that much to form opinions. I may have only been on the road for 3 years but in that time I've seen and learnt more than my entire life before that."I also stated that they were my opinions and didn't represent anyone else. A few weeks ago someone sent me a message on twitter telling me they had just nominated me for the EMS Blog of the Year 2012! I had never even heard about it so it was especially nice to be considered for someone's nomination. Someone liked my ramblings enough to recommend me! After an amazing week of support I got an email from EMS1 to say that I had been shortlisted to the top 10 EMS blogs and voting had now begun. I was honestly gobsmacked and so grateful to everyone who nominated me. I really do feel it is one of my best achievements to date. Today however, I got a rather nasty email from 'Anonymous' which took the edge off what had been an enjoyable couple of days.

"You might be under some illusion that by getting yourself nominated you've earned the right to call yourself a blogger. Let me tell you, you have not. You don't belong in the blogging community, your lack of clinical experience alone makes you ill placed to share your views. You have no place in the EMS blogger of the year competition and I can assure you that you will not win. I don't like your blog, I'll make no secret of that but what I don't like is seeing the writing of others overlooked because you managed to hoodwink your way onto the short list. Just think about that."OK. I will indeed think about that. I don't care if 'anonymous' doesn't like my blog. As much as it annoyed me, I didn't really care about apparently not being part of the blogging community or having "no place" in the competition. If that's the case then I won't win. I probably won't! I am up against 9 other great blogs; blogs that I myself read and recommend to others. As for this 'blogging community'; I have had guest bloggers, I've written guest blogs, I share other peoples work and have had many discussions with other bloggers on a variety of topics. What one has to do to be accepted I don't know and frankly don't care. If people do like me then great, if not so what. I can't please everyone. I also didn't put myself on the shortlist, others did; that to me is enough to nullify that ill -conceived comment. What did get me really riled was the suggestion that I wasn't experienced enough to write about what I do for a living. It got me thinking a lot about experience and what counts as experience.

I've made it no secret that I'm a student paramedic. I've also made it no secret I've only been on the road 3 years, but does that make me any less qualified to talk about a job that I have done; a job that affected me physically or emotionally, or a patient that I interacted with? Opinions can only ever be based on personal experience and personal feelings. I know for a fact that mine differ from others, that is the point, surely?! That is how a debate occurs. That is how democracy works. That's life! Because I've only worked on ambulances for 3 years can I not talk about the politics of the NHS? I'm not a politician but I have opinions. Experience is relative and constantly evolving. Yes, there are people with 20 years' experience but what if that person stayed in the same role for 20 years; what if they never tried to better themselves, never learned new skills, never moved with the times? In effect their 20 years' experience is just 1 year's experience, repeated 20 times. That's not me. It may be only 3 years but it's been a great 3 years. 3 years where I have learned a lot about myself. I'm not satisfied with the amount I have learnt, nor will I ever be. If you don't strive to better yourself you'll never gain new experience. That is part of what my blog is about. It is somewhere to reflect; look at the good, look at the bad, look at what can be learnt, and try and dissect what the hell just happened. Yes I'm new to blogging and have a lot to learn. I look back at the first few posts I did and they are in a completely different style to what they are now. I'm learning from my experience.

As for 'anonymous' whoever you may be:
"I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries." (Monty Python)
I raise two fingers and blow a raspberry!

I'll make no apologies for my opinions, they are mine and mine alone. Whilst ever I still enjoy it I will keep writing. If you agree with what I write about, leave a comment. If you don't agree, leave a comment. I welcome all opinions, for and against. If you feel like you have no choice but to insult me, please leave a name, even if it's a fake one, so I can give as good as I get! As for the EMS Blog of the Year 2012, you decide. There are 10 great blogs to choose from each with their own unique identities and their own great writers. Whichever one does win will be a more than worthy winner. Obviously, if I don't win, I'd like to see the title come to the UK! Have a read:

Diagnosis: LOB

Insomniac Medic

Mobile Intensive Prayer Unit

EMS Office Hours

Trauma Queen

Siren Voices

Rogue Medic

Paramedic Pulp Fiction

EMS 12 lead

EMT Spot

Pick your favourite!

EMS Blog of the Year 2012 - VOTE NOW!