Monday, October 12, 2009

Boldness in Crisis

I'm watching a friend go through a crisis and handle it in a manner that is thoughtful and purposeful and yet emotionally in touch.

This same friend gets into a fury if she misplaces her sunglasses.

I'm impressed. And I'm also encouraged by the thought that real trouble may call up resources we didn't know we had. I happen to get unhinged if my email doesn't do right. And I hate to think about a proportionate response to a crisis that's many times larger.

Maybe we expend our furies safely on the little stuff and haul out our best in the face of the most daunting.




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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Peggy,

Having dealt with a health crisis, I can say that I was able to hold it together because I had no choice. I had to be stable and calm because it exacerbated the problem at hand. Of course, I had moments of panic. I was able to talk myself down by remembering that worry is wasted energy. And make myself believe it.

Best wishes to your friend.
Angie

Peggy Payne said...

Thanks, Angie. I'm glad you got through your crisis, and I'm glad to know your name.

kenju said...

When mr. kenju had a stroke (over 2 years ago) I was able to rise to the occasion and didn't fall apart until 2 weeks later. I am always better during a crisis than I am with the small everyday stuff. I wonder why?

Peggy Payne said...

I hope Mr. Kenju is doing well.

Maybe in serious crisis we know we don't have the luxury of crashing.

I once had a serious romance breakup when my housemate was out of town for a month. I wasn't upset at all until she got back and I had company; then I was a wreck.