public health

public service

Don’t get me wrong…I’m all for supporting small businesses, but it seems everyone these days wants to take a drive down the entrepreneurship parkway. To be honest, I’d much rather support small businesses than the big box retailers. Naturally though, I still have to take my weekly trip to Target. Yes, I’m one of those people. But I digress…

The problem I see with all this hype around owning your business is that it is causing a serious drought in other areas. For example, I have spent the majority of my career, albeit that’s only 10 years, working in government (public health specifically), higher education (medicine) and the non-profit world. Do a simple Google search for articles about the declining number of new physicians and teachers. For those in the medical field, the idea of being in serious debt due to medical school loans is quite daunting and can certainly persuade even the most head strong student to turn the other way. For educators, we all know why there is a decline. Their annual pay versus what they are required to do on a daily basis is often times definitely not fair, especially if you want to work in an urban setting. In government, those in the older generations are retiring at a rapid rate but aren’t being replaced by younger counterparts. Many still in their current roles then become responsible for multiple jobs while only being paid for one.

My point? We still need people to serve in these public service roles. I’m all for wanting to work for yourself and make your schedule, but the number of businesses to actually succeed in what can only be described as a sometime topsy-turvy economy versus those that go belly-up after only a year is quite lopsided. (Whew, yes, that was a super long sentence!) I won’t even get on my soapbox about the number of entrepreneurs who start businesses without a comprehensive marketing plan.

We need to be encouraging the next generation to pursue careers as bankers, doctors, lawyers, social workers, teachers and the list could go on.

Now, this blog isn’t meant to bash those who have been successful with their businesses. I know PLENTY. From chefs to event planners to make-up artists to mobile app designers to publicists to photographers and graphic artists. If you plan properly and research your business idea, you very well can make it quite profitable and thus giving you a much more flexible lifestyle.

The reality is you’re not going to get rich working in public service (unless of course you become a government doctor or a lawyer!), but the end reward is so much greater. Let’s try and preach this message to the fourth and fifth graders who idolize us and see the great things we are doing. You can still push the entrepreneurship message while also encouraging these young people to think about a career in public service.

Of course, this is only my humble opinion and just a few thoughts “From My Hart.”

Today is September 30 and the last day of Infant Mortality Awareness Month. If you follow me on social media sites, you know I work in public health. It’s part of my daily responsibilities to inform the public (and media) about all things related to public health. Some days I discuss light topics such as encouraging people to get their flu shots but others are rather heavy like infant mortality. There’s absolutely nothing fun about babies dying in utero or before their first birthday.

I am good at what I do. Yes, I said it, and it’s the honest truth. When it comes to medicine and public health, I just have a way of using my communications expertise to educate my community.

Of course, it isn’t always easy when you have your own personal story. It’s difficult to talk about babies dying when your own child was stillborn. I only publicly talk about my daughter a few times a year…usually on her birth/death date and Mother’s Day. Generally, I don’t speak about her vocally either only because it more often times than not leads to tears falling down my cheeks. I had a normal and rather healthy pregnancy until one day I became ill….very ill. Matter of fact the rest is really a blur.

For whatever reason, A’Layla (my daughter) was heavy on my spirit today and really this entire month. A part of me believes she was reminding me to keep pushing even through my own personal feelings because no other mother should have to endure the agony and pain I did. I constantly think back to 2006 and wonder what I could have or should have done differently.

Infant mortality can occur for a variety of reasons…..from prematurity to babies not being in a safe sleep environment. If you are a woman of child-bearing age, be sure to take your daily dose of folic acid which helps prevent serious birth defects of the spinal cord (such as spina bifida) and the brain (such as anencephaly). Get plenty of physical activity before, during and even between pregnancies. Know the ABCs of Safe Sleep. Babies should always sleep ALONE, on their BACKS and in their own CRIB.

What happened to me and my daughter was very much a freak occurrence that even the physicians couldn’t explain, but I will continue to use my situation as motivation to preach the same messages. We can reduce the infant mortality rates in our communities if we all work together.

As always….these are just a few thoughts “From My Hart.”

From My Hart

Public Service Workers are ROCKSTARS!

My Daughter = My Motivation