What can I do to feasibly enact change, both with my colleagues and at the institutional level? - Anonymous, Toronto She became defensive and has stated in the past that she does not like “making people uncomfortable” by discussing these issues and that “this is the world of classical music.” I am growing tired of being the only person doing the work and beginning to feel resentful. I exclaimed that no one cared about diversity and inclusion at our organization. I recently had an argument with a close colleague, who I trust and who is white. I am the sole person on my team who has been vocal for change. I have tried to raise awareness around having a structured equity, diversity and inclusion plan in place. I am the only nonwhite person on my team. I work for a prominent classical music organization. In this week's Work Friend, Roxane counsels a woman who wants her workplace to "do better". I can't begin to fathom what seems like an adversarial tone in that article. I didn't do anything difficult: I did what the professionals asked me to do. When I was asked to hold a blood pressure cuff in place on my skinny arm, I did. When I was asked to re-position myself for a side X-ray, I did. The tone in the writer's column was so alien to my experience: maybe being a working-class Midwesterner accounts for the difference. I was very warm and friendly with many of the people helping to care for me, since I genuinely respected their work, and would hate to be disrespectful.
Some of the aides who saw me several times a day seemed to relax their rules a bit, but I always tried to remind people that I'd be happy to put my mask back on, or wash my hands once again. The rules about masks seemed to be enforced unevenly (I think they knew I had been tested and was negative).
They were men and women, from all over the world: if I were told to wash my hands thoroughly and use disinfectant, I did.
In every case, when a nurse or nurse's aide or some other health professional came to my room, I totally deferred to their instructions. I've recently spent several weeks in a couple of different hospitals for various problems: broken bones, vitamin deficiencies, and (eventually) acute depression. I sort of feel like I live in some kind of science-fiction world.