I've enjoyed the posts on this topic.   Changes in cultural patterns have
never been led by people who were "middle of the road." LLL would never
have gotten "out of the park" if the Founding Mothers had been "wishy
washy." Nor would all of the remarkable hospital changes that many of you
are heroically initiating.

If we are called zealots as a derogatory label, then the labeler just
doesn't have the goals that we do. When someone wants to discredit you
she/he will find a way, no matter how you present yourself. And when you
are looking for help you want to find the person who will do anything
she/he can to help you reach your goal, not someone who has a modest
interest in the issue.

We don't want to let name callers water down our teaching or our
enthusiasm. We need to be who we are, and let the evaluations come as they
may. I have found that the less sensitive to criticism I become, the less
criticism comes my way.

I know that as a private practice LC I can say this with the certainty that
I won't be "fired" nor be reprimanded by my "supervisor." Maybe some of you
who have created useful "come backs" to labels such as "zealot" can share
with us what has diffused the issue for you.

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA


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