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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 29, 2016)
OPINION 4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2016 THE MYTH OF ISLANDS Photo by Dwight Caswell By ED HUNT For The Daily Astorian W riter’s N otebook A n island is a lie. On my way to work, I drive along Washington’s Willapa Bay and pass by the two islands that can be seen from the mainland. Long Island crowds just feet from the high- way that hugs the shore. Heavily forested it stretches away to the horizon, appearing as solid shoreline. Long Island holds a grove of ancient forest and in days past was inhabited with settlements. There is a ferry landing just off the road that used to bring trucks back and forth across the narrow thread of water that separates it from the rest of Washington state. A little farther on is a defi ant little islet sev- eral hundred yards from where the tourist pass by on their way to the beach. The U.S. Geologi- cal Survey named it Round Island back in 1858 ; locals call it Baby Island. Its shoulders’ hunched and spiked with snags and cedar that burl in the winter storms. Only a few acres of brush and trees, it appears a picturesque myth centered in the waters of the bay. Steep rocks rising from the silver gray waters and lonely alone. ‘How we treat each other and how we take care of ourselves matters. If you think you are an island, just wait until low tide.’ Unfortunately, few seek professional help. So too some of the stress comes from our own expectations. Physician Pranay Sinha, in a 2014 essay titled “Why Do Doctors Commit Suicide?” in The New York Times explained it this way: “There is a strange machismo that per- vades medicine. Doctors, especially fl edg- ling doctors like me, feel the need to proj- ect intellectually, emotional and physical prowess beyond what we truly possess. We masquerade as strong and untroubled pro- fessionals even in our darkest and most self -doubting moments. How, then, are we supposed to identify colleagues in trouble — or admit that we need help ourselves?” Individual strength, resilience and free- dom are cultural virtues in our nation. Yet we achieve most when we come together and recognize our connections and that through those connections our individual decisions have repercussions on the world around us. W e like to think of ourselves as islands, as individuals, as ecosystems wholly within ourselves. We like to believe that our actions affect no one beyond our ragged shore. We like to believe ourselves surrounded by waters isolated from the world outside. We like to think ourselves individuals, the center of our own solar systems — centered yet sep- arated by time and space from mothers, wives, children and friends who dip into our orbit for a time only to swing away again. It is easy to feel alone. It is easy to think that our actions do not shatter the mirrored water that fl ows around us, yet the decisions we make ripple out into the world. We see it in politics, where the temptation is to live and let live, assuming no responsibil- ity for the community, the state, the nation or the world. I hear it all the time. I’ll take care of myself, do what I want, and it won’t affect anyone else. If other people make bad choices, can’t access health care or mental health services or run out of money when they are too old to work, that’s their problem. It won’t affect me. Y et it does. I work as a nurse in an emergency room. It is the front line of the consequences of bad choices. I meet a lot of people who until that moment thought they were islands. I have met many people who thought their decisions affected Ed Hunt/For The Daily Astorian The U.S. Geological Survey named this islet in Washington’s Willapa Bay “Round Is- land,” back in 1858, but locals call it Baby Island. no one but them and them alone. Some have long suffering loved ones at bedside, others have long since burned those bridges to the mainland. Perhaps they justifi ed this as a way to limit that damage they caused, or perhaps the connection was never very good in the fi rst place. If not family and friends, there are always the professionals — the police offi cers, emer- gency medical technicians, nurses, doctors and socials workers — who crash in waves trying to make a difference until the last breath. Every wave recedes taking a little away from the beach and leaving a little of itself behind. Yet, the ocean itself is not unchanged. I have watched as addiction destroys fami- lies and devastates public resources. I have seen suicide shatter communities. I have seen health care professionals struggle to make a difference in the face of increasing needs and decreasing resources. Studies have shown that nurses experi- ence depression at twice the rate of the gen- eral population. Doctors have a suicide rate that is at least twice that of the general popu- lation and that rate is even greater for female physicians. The stresses come from long hours, increasing work loads and the crush- ing expectations of health care systems that are always demanding more and paying less. T his far north the tides are impressive — a dozen feet in sea level change can drasti- cally alter your perspective in a few hours time. When the tide is low, the water drains out of old Shoalwater Bay and Round Island is exposed as connected to mainland by mudfl ats that the unwary may be tempted to walk across. Take away the oceans that appear to sep- arate us, and you will fi nd underneath the connections that tie us all together. What we do and say and act affects those near and far. How we treat each other and how we take care of ourselves matters. If you think you are an island, just wait until low tide. Ed Hunt is a writer and registered nurse who blogs on medical issues at redtriage.com and on other subjects at theebbtide.blogspot. com. He lives in Grays River, Washington. Open forum Blown away by art R ecently my school had the honor to spend some time with artists from the community. The artist I went to see was Sara Ruscetta. She showed us her amazing chainsaw skills. She told us how much time and work goes into just one wood proj- ect. Mind blowing to me. The little tree she made for us was cool, and I thought that it would be maybe one more hour to wrap it up. No, I was very wrong. The little tree she started is going to take eight more hours to fi nish. Sara Ruscetta also showed us how many saws she uses, and how they help her with her projects. At the end of our workshop, I was blown away by the amount of time and work that goes into chainsaw projects. I am looking forward to next year’s Honorary Artists of Oregon Day, and hope to see more artists next time. TANNER RICH Seaside Creative kudos O n April 14, Seaside High School observed the Honorary Artists of Oregon Day by having workshops for students led by professional artists. One of our students helped create this new tradition for all of Oregon. The state passed HB3042 to inspire stu- dents’ creativity. On that day, I observed a profes- sional cartoon/portrait artist, Dave Poole, draw a portrait of a person from our group. I found his drawing work- shop interesting. Also, we were able to ask him some questions. Finally, I have learned some drawing skills. I would like to thank the people who put the event together, the artists and the state legislators who passed the bill. BENNY OLSON Seaside Editor’s note: These letters were among several from students about Honorary Artists of Oregon Day on April 14 collected by Seaside High School teacher Tina Hess. STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher • LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager • CARL EARL, Systems Manager JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager • DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager Founded in 1873