Photo by: DanSun Photo Art
Extraordinary People Living Extraordinary Lives Cynthia Hamilton Urquhart
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wo years ago, I was asked to present at the First Responder Suicide Awareness Conference in Calgary, Alberta. The purpose of the conference was to provide a safe space for those of us impacted by Operational Stress Injuries, with hopes of reducing the stigma around mental health, addiction and reaching out for help. As a retired police officer (RCMP), having been diagnosed with and treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, it was felt that I had much to offer. I accepted the request but was frustrated when a week later I was still struggling with finalizing the topic. I thought perhaps a different environment would inspire me, so I got up from my desk, took my pen and paper, and walked into the family room. I turned on the radio, sat down and stared at the trees outside the window. A few minutes later, the inspiration came, but from the most unexpected place. The radio. 46 // Community Now!
The DJ was talking about celebrities. He discussed how they were "...just ordinary people that lived extraordinary lives..." He continued by saying "they go places and do things most of us could never imagine." That got me thinking. If celebrities were "ordinary people living extraordinary lives," why wouldn't First Responders be considered in the same light? Don't we go places and do things other people can't imagine? I couldn't help but focus on the word "extraordinary”, so I turned to a couple of dictionaries for clarification: "going beyond what is usual; exceptional to a very marked extent; special, strange or unexpected. I decided the DJ was right, many celebrities could be described as living extraordinary lives, but I couldn't help but think so do First Responders, for very different reasons and with much less fanfare. We don't seek
