I’d like to give a shout out to my neighbor, Denis Hattemer, who loudly and proudly gives a most enthusiastic and booming shout out to the healthcare workers every evening at 8pm without fail. Since the pandemic began, I’ve gone through periods of disbelief, fear, anxiety, apathy, sadness to name a few emotions. Come 8pm, however, I am always cheered by Denis’ relentless expression of gratitude. He calls out to my name each night, and whatever my mood, I feel compelled to respond. His call to arms, “alright, alright, alright” has become somewhat famous through the hills of Silver Lake. My neighbor across busy Rowena Avenue reached out to tell me he “loves that guy.” Another neighbor and her daughter crossed the avenue in order to catch an up close glimpse of the person cheering everyone through these crazy times. Her husband works at Kaiser. The thanks to healthcare workers does not go unheard. The thanks to Denis reverberate through the hills.

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