"Connecting the Dots" by Nathan Hartman

It warms my heart to hear and see the good work that Lauren O'Brien and Embraced have done. Knowing that children like Leila can receive, at no cost, expensive equipment that will aid in her road to recovery is truly a gift. My small part in making this happen originated in awareness ofI Child Spring International through the work of Rose Emily Bermudez, and after learning about Embraced, I thought that the two might work together one day in achieving a common goal: helping disabled children in need. Little did I know how quickly this connection would lead to children receiving the help they need.

 

Lending a hand is not always easy. Our time is filled with work and relationships and any number of other duties and responsibilities. To pile on the task of helping total strangers seems impossible. We tell ourselves that there simply aren't enough hours in the day to make a real difference, but any amount of time can do real, tangible good if our efforts are directed towards the right cause. Making an introduction between Embraced and Child Spring only took a few emails, but those minutes have already secured necessary post-operation equipment that will help Leila walk. Organizations like these can use our individual talents and connections to make profound positive changes in the lives of people in our hometown Atlanta, across the country, and around the globe. So whether we have a free weekend or just a few minutes, there is a way that you can make a real difference in the live of others. Contact Lauren O'Brien at lauren@embracedatlanta.org to find out how your talents can change lives.

- Nathan Hartman, ESQ. MTS

Hartman Private Law

Newton's 3rd Law

Sometimes we get referred a patient that needs multiple pieces of medical equipment and we just don't have everything.  Because we rely on donations, sometimes inventory varies but, I kid you not, for some reason it always works out.  I recently delivered a wheelchair and walker to a 15 yr old over at Children's Hospital.  The case manager indicated that he also needed a shower seat.  I told Colleen, "nope we don't have one right now, but I am sure we will have one soon".  She looked at me suspiciously and asked me if I had other resources or if I were going to go buy one.  I told her with utmost confidence, "Colleen, this is how my life has been working out for the past two years- trust me, I can almost guarantee, we will get one in the next day or so".  

Shower seats are not common- we have been donated 2 shower seats in the past year but for some reason,  I just simply knew it would all work out.  I left and went about my day.

It wasn't until Monday that I received a voice message from a woman.  She told me her mother had just passed away and she was wanting to donate an item, but was not sure if we would take the item and to please call her back.  I returned the call, inquired about the item and learned her donation in question was a shower seat.

Coincidence or serendipity...who knows.  But, we all managed to work together to make sure our kiddo, Jonathan, had a solution.

Shower chairs might not sound that grand.  But, this is one less piece of equipment his working family has to worry about, one less piece of equipment headed to a landfill and one less headache for Jonathan who is simply trying to adjust to his new life in a wheelchair, so that he can focus on recovering and healing.

Milli Vanilli, Goats and Hot-Dog truck drivers- corny or clever?

I swear I'd talk to a wall if it would talk back, so I rarely need an ice-breaker.  Sweaty palms and that "cat's got your tongue" feeling is unknown to me.  However, I do realize that we are all different, so at my first  Battle of the Burgers committee meeting, I decided to do an ice-breaker exercise at this meeting.  Now, these said ice-breakers usually annoy me for the first 10 min of most meetings, well, because they are usually really boring...and I never really felt anymore connected to "Hi, I am Jack and I am from Maryland".   So are 6 million other folks, Jack...wow, we have so much in common.  I have a nose too, Jack- does that makes us connected?  Maybe I am a bit harsh, but I just never did an ice-breaker that was beneficial.....until the other day...

I asked guest to state the usual...name, work, where they are from..and then, I asked them to recount one interesting and or embarrassing fact, keyword:interesting and/or embarrassing.

I then started strategically because I knew the first person to "go" would set the tone.  I praised that person for revealing that she was a professional "back-end fender bender", having back-ended a slew of cars in her days of driving.  This set the tone:  positive praise for embarrassing facts.

Other fun things I learned:
1. one girl drove a Oscar Meyer-like hot dog truck
2. someone lost 70lbs- very AMAZING
3. someone actually partied with MIlLI Vanilli!

So, moral of the story:  embarrassing/interesting facts bond us together... we all felt a bit connected through sharing laughs and smiles about how weird we all are.

PS- I had a pet goat named Sylvester when I was 7...and he ate dog food.