Chatter
On RIMonthly.com
“The Things They Carry,”
February
As the daughter, sister and aunt to
firefighters and police officers, I
implore you to share this edition
with every police and fire depart-
ment in our state. I have seen
first-hand the effects some of these
traumas have on these dedicated
public servants. We need to let
them know there is help out there
for them. We need to remove the
stigma associated with PTSD. As
one of those interviewed said, it
isn’t a disorder. It’s an injury. I will
be sharing with my family.
I’m responding to Casey Nilsson’s
brilliant article pertaining to
firefighters and PTSD. It’s about
time attention was brought to this
very real problem. My heart was
breaking while reading the article
because as a retired firefighter/
EMT, I can identify with their
struggles. I was on the department
for twenty-three years and am
well aware of the effects not only
because of the many different and
difficult scenarios, but also because I
was a woman in a male-oriented
field. We’ve lived these incidents
and they stay with us forever. [This] was one of the best articles I
have read in Rhode Island Monthly
and perhaps in any magazine. I am a
nurse and have first responders in my
family. This article is very articulate,
truthful and thought provoking.
There is still not parity between
mental health and medical health.
I hope this opens many minds. PATRICIA BIXBY JONI R HOM E AND STYLE TH I NGS TO DO
WRENTHAM, MASS. CUMBERLAND It’s the time of year to get
down and dirty — in the
garden, that is! Start your
sprucing at our favorite
flower and garden
nurseries in Rhode Island. April showers bring
May (and June and July)
flowers. Pick your own
at picture-perfect flower
farms across the state.
Contest
KRISTIN SULLIVAN
CUMBERLAND
Cast Your Vote!
FOOD AND DRI NK
Hop on over to the state’s top restaurants for Easter
brunch or dinner, and leave the cooking (and cleaning!)
to the pros.
What Pizza Topping
Are You?
Find out this month in our fun,
interactive quiz on RIMonthly.com
and you’ll be entered to win a
restaurant gift card!
Get Social With Us
@RIMonthly
It’s time to cast your vote for the
state’s best restaurants, shopping,
entertainment and more!
The ballot is open April 1–30 on
RIMonthly.com. One vote per valid
email address.
CULTURE H EALTH
Celebrate the land we
love this Earth Day with
clean-ups on the beach
and in your neighborhood. Keep the kids active
on rainy days with our
picks for fun indoor
play spaces.
PLUS! THE DINER’S UPDATE / ONLINE CALENDAR /
HOUSE LUST
Letters and comments may be edited for length and style.
12 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l
APRIL 2020
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From our Readers