The title of this piece is a quote from Winston Churchill, one of my favorite historical figures. Great Britain was fortunate to have Churchill as its' leader during World War II (as we were fortunate to have Roosevelt). Churchill's advice probably served him well most of the time, but his political career had its' ups and downs, so it is probably an approach that should be used with some discretion.
When Vermont State Hospital was flooded by Tropical Storm Irene and forced to close, we were all faced with a huge problem (actually multiple huge problems). We had two basic choices: deal with it or quit and walk away. The day after the flood, when the hospital was evacuated, and staff went with the patients to multiple locations throughout the state. People stepped up because it was an emergency and it was the right thing to do. As days, weeks, and months passed, though, the "emergency" became chronic. Some people left to go elsewhere to provide some stability in their lives, other left because a political decision left them without a job.
The last year has taught us to be creative, to be frustrated, to be hopeful, to be disappointed, to feel appreciated and respected, to feel discarded, to feel tired, to name a few. Not every day has been bad, but not everyone wants to follow Winston and keep going (nor should they). We are not the organization we once were. Vermont State Hospital is gone for good, although some of the people remain to start over in a new adventure. For those who don't want to continue, I respect the decision; it is a personal choice that people are free to make, especially since we are not in a crisis at the moment.
During the flood, Winston's advice was the right thing to do. Now that time has passed, and decisions have been made (some we thin are OK, others not so much), people can and do choose not to "keep going".
Regardless of the path we choose, many of had the opportunity to share an experience that will stay with us forever, and that we kept going when we needed to.
