Analysis Of Callings By Dave Isay

Improved Essays
“Finding a Purpose”
Professional fulfillment can have various interpretations. Whether you are own boss or working in a family business, we all have our own definition of success. In “Callings” by Dave Isay, there are multiple accounts of ordinary people fulfilling their life long dreams and passions. ICU nurse, Michelle Alore, and firefighter, Dekalb Walcott, are just two of the fifty-three remarkable stories about devotion, perseverance, and prosperity.
Michelle Alore is an ICU nurse who takes pride in forming relationships with her patients and their families. She shares a heartwarming story about the time she makes a quilt to honor a dying patient. This small gesture has an enormous impact on the family. Alore perfects her craft by connecting
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She believes that creating a bond with her patients is one of the most important factors in the healing process. As someone who is pursuing a career in healthcare, I can appreciate where Alore is coming from. Hearing first-hand accounts about how a doctor or therapist makes a breakthrough with their patients once they connect with them on a personal level goes to show that this outlook is effective. The ICU nurse also believes in doing “what you want to do” (Isay 141). One needs to have passion for their work, no matter how insignificant or enormous the job may be. Without passion, people just go through the motions. I partially disagree with Dekalb Walcott’s outlook on success in his professional career. Just like Alore, Walcott is passionate about his work. In fact, he loves it so much that he is “looking forward to pass this torch down” (Isay 59) to his son if he is “fortunate enough to have one” (Isay 59). Although there is nothing wrong with multiple generations sharing the same passion for one occupation, I do see a problem with dictating where your future child will be in the workforce. Walcott is already hoping, and in some ways controlling, where his future son will work. I truly believe that we all have a purpose in our life. I feel as if Walcott will be pushing this profession and lifestyle to his son, which will not let the child explore new ideas and occupations. I disagree with the fact …show more content…
For the past two years I have worked at a local retirement home in the dining room. Although the residents are not my patients, they still look for that personal connection. Once I took a few extra minutes out of my day to talk about a TV show with a resident. Now this may seem like a simple gesture, and truthfully it was, but to that resident is meant a whole lot more. At the end of our conversation, she told me that the past five minutes made her happy she got out of bed. Also, I have seen nurses and therapists mistreat my own grandparents, both on a professional and personal level. These experiences shaped my views on how I want to carry myself in the future. Being personal and treating others with respect will help with the emotional and physical healing that the patient

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