The Multiplying Power of Emphasis in our Media

It's amazing to witness the power of top-of-mind recall. My wife, Marie, and I met at a coffee shop late this morning after running our separate errands. (Well, actually, I'm not doing much running at all. I've been suffering from sciatica for the last two weeks, but the details on that are best saved for another post.) I got there ahead of Marie and took a table. The man sitting next to me looked either a bit distracted or drowsy, but I did not think much of it, as many people in our community are mentally challenged and in assisted living. I chalked up his behavior as normal for many of the people who live in our town.
Marie joined me, and we were conversing when her eyes and voice both rose with alarm. The man sitting next to me stood to leave, and he fainted. He fell forward towards us, and we caught him before he hit the floor. With my sciatica, I was slow to move, but Marie was on top of the situation, clearing the area, calling people to help the man go into a chair, and asking the staff to call 9-1-1.
The poor man revived, and we sat him down. We learned that his name was Michael, that he did indeed live in the assisted quarters. His roommates were out of town, so he was alone. We also learned that Michael had suffered brain damage from a 1973 auto accident.
We kept him calm and alert until a policeman arrived. He also kept Michael come and engaged until emergency medical technicians arrived. However, Marie and I immediately informed these good folks of one key fact:

It appeared that Michael had bumped his head on our table when he fell.

Normally, we may not have noted such a detail, but how could we ignore it today with all the attention paid to Natasha Richardson's tragic death following a head injury while skiing? We pointed out the bruise above Michael's left eyebrow, and they noted that he was not staying awake. Because of that, they took Michael to the local hospital for observation rather than release him according to his wishes.
It seems that the national press, TV and radio were all discussing head injuries ad nauseum since Ms. Richardson's injury. It may also be popular right now to bash the media for the stories they missed (e.g., financial meltdown, the details of the war in Iraq). But at that moment in the coffee shop, I was relieved to have heard about the problem so frequently.
As it turned out, the medical team decided to take Michael to the local hospital for observation. As of this writing, I don't know how his case turned out. Still, I am grateful for the information I had received on the TV news. It shows the ongoing power of television and how that medium is uniquely equipped to disseminate needed information not just powerfully, but also repeatedly.

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