"What do you mean I'm not on the account?"
"I'm sorry ma'am. You're not on the account. You are not L----, correct?"
"Look, I tell you what. I will sign up for an account right now, on the phone, pay what ever fee you need me to pay, but can you please dispatch someone out to help me NOW. A pregnant lady is having a baby today! I'm supposed to meet her. Please?!"
"Well, no ma'am...well...(pause)...yeah. Ok. Yeah. Where is the vehicle?"
This was how my day started. Well, not really. My "day" started last night when I went to work for a super-fab family with twins. This conversation happened at 6:10a, after I had realized I had locked my car, with it running, with my phone, contact numbers, and computer inside.
I was on my way to meet a client that was having her baby today.
The barista's at the Starbucks on the corner, (who have come to know me from my morning coffee stop...well sorta know me. *ok not really... But they know me now!) let me use their phone to call AAA. And sit in their warm cafe. And one of them tried to get my car open. And they commiserated. And eventually cheered me on when the two AAA workmen arrived.
The AAA operator was quick and helpful, and in 35 minutes, a truck was there, helping me get on the road to where I had a client waiting.
And it all ended ok.
I had contingency plans running through my head.
Do I just leave my car and take a cab?
Would my car get towed?
Do I ask to use someone's smart phone to call the hospital?
Do I... it kept going on.
Today was one big lesson. HUGE lessons for me. Somethings were easy like, carry a spare key in my wallet. Others were organizational structures for my business. The one that stands out is that people can be really awesome.
People can get pretty down right now. Winter, temperatures, politics...
But after being bolstered up by some baristas and AAA, I got to work for a wonderful family that welcomed their wonderful son into the world. I got to meet a wonderful nurse who said openly and boldly, "Oh I love working with doulas! So glad you are here!"
I am usually a person that others lean on. I am usually the person people come to when they need to get pumped up. It is rare that I find myself in such a vulnerable place, needing help from complete strangers.
The weird thing...
It felt good. It felt good to let these people help me.
Yes, I bought coffee while I waited. Yes I purchased a service plan. Yes, it's easy for a nurse to say a line in front of a couple who obviously wanted me to be there.
But it was all good. I valued their care, and they showed me kindness.
I never thought I would have said this at 6:10a this morning, but...
What an awesome day!
Authored by A Swift Doula
"I'm sorry ma'am. You're not on the account. You are not L----, correct?"
"Look, I tell you what. I will sign up for an account right now, on the phone, pay what ever fee you need me to pay, but can you please dispatch someone out to help me NOW. A pregnant lady is having a baby today! I'm supposed to meet her. Please?!"
"Well, no ma'am...well...(pause)...yeah. Ok. Yeah. Where is the vehicle?"
This was how my day started. Well, not really. My "day" started last night when I went to work for a super-fab family with twins. This conversation happened at 6:10a, after I had realized I had locked my car, with it running, with my phone, contact numbers, and computer inside.
I was on my way to meet a client that was having her baby today.
The barista's at the Starbucks on the corner, (who have come to know me from my morning coffee stop...well sorta know me. *ok not really... But they know me now!) let me use their phone to call AAA. And sit in their warm cafe. And one of them tried to get my car open. And they commiserated. And eventually cheered me on when the two AAA workmen arrived.
The AAA operator was quick and helpful, and in 35 minutes, a truck was there, helping me get on the road to where I had a client waiting.
And it all ended ok.
I had contingency plans running through my head.
Do I just leave my car and take a cab?
Would my car get towed?
Do I ask to use someone's smart phone to call the hospital?
Do I... it kept going on.
Today was one big lesson. HUGE lessons for me. Somethings were easy like, carry a spare key in my wallet. Others were organizational structures for my business. The one that stands out is that people can be really awesome.
People can get pretty down right now. Winter, temperatures, politics...
But after being bolstered up by some baristas and AAA, I got to work for a wonderful family that welcomed their wonderful son into the world. I got to meet a wonderful nurse who said openly and boldly, "Oh I love working with doulas! So glad you are here!"
I am usually a person that others lean on. I am usually the person people come to when they need to get pumped up. It is rare that I find myself in such a vulnerable place, needing help from complete strangers.
The weird thing...
It felt good. It felt good to let these people help me.
Yes, I bought coffee while I waited. Yes I purchased a service plan. Yes, it's easy for a nurse to say a line in front of a couple who obviously wanted me to be there.
But it was all good. I valued their care, and they showed me kindness.
I never thought I would have said this at 6:10a this morning, but...
What an awesome day!
Authored by A Swift Doula
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