It’s December 28. I board a Southwest plane from San Jose to LA for an end-of-year conference with thought leaders. Dan and I settle into the aisle seats across from each other in the exit row over the wings. When the plane roars down the runway, I reach for Dan. Our arms make a V shape as they hang toward each other in the aisle with our clasped hands as the pointed bottom of a heart.
As a psychiatrist far removed from being all that helpful in these kinds of medical emergencies, I think maintaining calm and sending love and compassion in some way is very important. Thich Nhat Hanh said, "When the crowded Vietnamese refugee boats met with storms or pirates, if everyone panicked all would be lost. But if even one person on the boat remained calm and centered, it was enough. It showed the way for everyone to survive."
Oh Julie, I absolutely feel the agony in your words. As I read this, and I AM a medical professional, my heart rate rises and I know that I, too, would not know what to do or how to help. I've been in these places, offered help if needed, and then stood back to let those on duty do their jobs. Sometimes we can only bear witness. I'm so relieved at the end of the story.
When I was a kid my school bus hit a child on a bicycle. The driver jumped down and ran to the front, his face absolutely gray. We all sat for a few minutes, confused and stunned. Then kids started looking out the front windows, and some kids said they were going to get out. I was one of the smallest kids on the bus, because it stopped at the jr high on the way to my elementary school. But-- how or why I can’t recall-- I stood up and announced that we should all stay on the bus and out of the way of the first responders who were arriving. To my astonishment, everyone sat back down. I’ve spent the rest of my life wondering whether I’d know what to do in another emergency, or if that was just a fluke.
As a psychiatrist far removed from being all that helpful in these kinds of medical emergencies, I think maintaining calm and sending love and compassion in some way is very important. Thich Nhat Hanh said, "When the crowded Vietnamese refugee boats met with storms or pirates, if everyone panicked all would be lost. But if even one person on the boat remained calm and centered, it was enough. It showed the way for everyone to survive."
jeez that's beautiful.
Oh Julie, I absolutely feel the agony in your words. As I read this, and I AM a medical professional, my heart rate rises and I know that I, too, would not know what to do or how to help. I've been in these places, offered help if needed, and then stood back to let those on duty do their jobs. Sometimes we can only bear witness. I'm so relieved at the end of the story.
The solidarity you're expressing feels so good to me. I imagine you feel even more of it than I feel given that you're in healthcare.
When I was a kid my school bus hit a child on a bicycle. The driver jumped down and ran to the front, his face absolutely gray. We all sat for a few minutes, confused and stunned. Then kids started looking out the front windows, and some kids said they were going to get out. I was one of the smallest kids on the bus, because it stopped at the jr high on the way to my elementary school. But-- how or why I can’t recall-- I stood up and announced that we should all stay on the bus and out of the way of the first responders who were arriving. To my astonishment, everyone sat back down. I’ve spent the rest of my life wondering whether I’d know what to do in another emergency, or if that was just a fluke.
Stunning. Wow
We never know what we would do until we are in that situation. But now you have me thinking. . . . What will I do if / when?
i enjoy providing food for thought 😊