You'll have to bear with me on this one...keep reading though because I think you will see the common thread at the end. If not, that's ok...leave me a comment which reminds me...I'd love your comments whether they be on the blog if you are a follower on Google or just a short email.
Here goes...
I added up the months recently that I have been at Wilford Hall and I couldn't believe it- over 2 1/2 years. I've had a few unique opportunities to be a part of some special milestones there, most recently this past month, the closure of the hospital's foodservice which had been in operation over 50 years! Unless you've worked there, it's difficult to truly appreciate the complexity of Wilford Hall Medical Center and what it contributes to AF medicine and the dietetics career field. Let me just say that the many changes the hospital has experienced over the past few years that have been mandated by Congress and Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) law have been quite revolutionary. Our small piece of the changes in the dietetics world means no more inpatient care and foodservice, just outpatients. It's a big change.
About a year ago I was placed in the Food Production Flight Commander position which was a bit unnerving at the time. In my 15 years of being a dietitian, I've had the least experience in Food Production but I was going to be responsible for overseeing the draw down of food services at the "flagship" hospital which is something that had never been done before. To be perfectly honest, I was not the least bit thrilled about the job but if there's one thing I've learned, it's not the actual job but the people you work with that make it what it is. I had the blessing of working with some wonderful people, both military and civilian who knew their jobs well enough that it kept me out of trouble as their Flight Commander (most of the time).
By this time I can bet you're starting to ask "how does this relate to TIME?" which I stated was my overarching theme. Well...the fact that there was no longer a need for military run foodservice operations meant peoples' job were going to change or go away completely. For our military, it meant moving to the Army hospital across town (no biggie) but for our civilians, many of which had been there over 2 decades, it meant they were losing their jobs. Their "time" at Wilford Hall had run out. As it turned out, God's hand was over each and every one of them. Those that were retirement eligible, retired and the remainder were found jobs at the Army hospital but this was not an easy task.
As we approached the 1 year from closure point, an idea came to me. Our civilian workers did not ask to leave, they were forced. I have to admit that up to that point, I did not know much about them, these 50 or so people, even though I passed them in the kitchen and facility each and every day. I realized that unless someone went to the effort to recognize these people who carried out often thankless jobs, they would soon disappear not fully knowing the impact they had on thousands of peoples' lives. So with that thought, I decided we needed to have an unprecedented ceremony (there aren't too many of these in an organization whose culture is based on tradition) to commemorate the 52 years of good departmental service and recognize those civilian workers leaving with gifts on stage that were based on the number of years they worked at the facility.
I had gathered some helpful Airmen to work on the committee and the months came and went, the clock seemed to tick faster and faster. There was not an individual in our departent that did not have a tender heart and become a little sentimental when the upcoming closure was brought up. While the backgrounds, ages, and ethnic groups differed widely across our diverse squadron, none of that seemed to matter in the end. All of a sudden, it occurred to me that the job I had been forced into, was not so bad after all...In fact, it was pretty rewarding and it was bittersweet that it was coming to an end.
Instead of being too busy to stop, make eye contact, and strike up a conversation with our civilian staff each day, I began to do just that. I realized that I had "wasted" a lot of time and before I knew it, time together was something all of us did not have much of. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that many of their interests, families, trials and tribulations, and values were not much different than my own. I learned about Ms. Janie who is a Hispanic woman who had worked for our dining facility for 22 years and was my mom's age. Had I not taken the time to connect with her I would have never known how her inspiration in life is her 12 year old grandson who has been blind since birth. And how the mission of her family is to raise enough money to fly him to China to receive a stem cell procedure that should allow him to see for the first time. I learned about Mr Countess who was one of our staff with a disability. His sister had dropped him off and picked him up at work each day for him to carry out his duties for about 15 years. Unless he found a way to get to the Army hospital which was farther from his home and too far for his sister to drive him, he would be without any income. God has a way of showing up when it matters most and a way was found for dedicated Mr Countess to catch the bus at Wilford Hall and ride to Brook Army Medical Center and back on each of his work days. And this was after an appropriate position miraculously became available for him there.
The desire to understand, relate and make a difference in others' lives was not something that found a place in just my heart but everyone throughout our department. It was like we knew our time together had run out. As it turned out, the "Closing Ceremony" was a big success. The Airman in charge of the invitations did a beautiful job; the reception immediately following was exactly what you would expect from food and hospitality experts. The beautiful plaques had a lithograph of Wilford Hall and San Antonio that was very stunning. Our hospital commander, a 2 star General presided over the ceremony and we had good attendance from people throughout the hospital. Most importantly, our civilian workers and their families, many of which came up on stage to accompany their loved one, felt valued and as if their efforts and sacrifices truly made a difference. It was one of those days we talk about in the Air Force when you are "re-blued" and reminded of the real reasons we do what we do. On this day I became very grateful to have had the wake up call to stop and smell the flowers. They've been blooming all along.
After our more formal photo, this is what we came up with for our "fun" one.
The change from an inpatient and outpatient facility to just outpatients brought a name change from Wilford Hall Medical Center to Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center.
Me and Ms. Janie.
Some of our staff. Ms. Josie (in purple) made pretty aprons and literally wore a different apron to work every day!
This SSgt was my right hand in making sure the many details of the ceremony and reception were covered. The great news is she will also be my right hand on my deployment. She is tasked to go too.
The thought of our impending separation is always in the back of my mind. I know to a certain degree how much time I have left before I leave and each day, it's 24 hours less. I am trying to balance my many responsibilities and I wish I could stop the hands of time for just a little bit. The great news is, I am slowing down and for those of you who know me well know I can have an overflowing plate and not even know it. The kids, Kurt and I have been enjoying our time together, playing games, riding our bikes (which I have LOVED), painting pumpkins, blowing out Hunter's birthday candle, going wine tasting, watching movies, enjoying family dinners, giving thanks to God, and even wrestling on the floor tickling tummies. If you ask me, it has been the perfect use of our time.
Have you ever asked yourself what is the perfect use of your time?
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