IF YOU DON'T WANT MY HELP, WHY DID YOU CALL?

April 17, 2007

I wrote If You Don’t Want My Help, Why Did You Call? after a night where I was running on fumes—seven calls deep, dead tired, and facing yet another patient who treated us like the enemy. He came to the firehouse looking for help, then spent the entire call yelling, cussing, and refusing to cooperate. I remember thinking: You asked for us. You walked here. Why are you treating us like we ruined your night? Writing it helped me process that frustration—how some patients invite you into their chaos, then lash out like you’re part of the problem.