A Crisis

The police officers just left. They actually came to my home much quicker than I would have imagined, but they didn’t stay very long. I guess there is really not much they can do for me and honestly having a Fed-X package stolen out of your garage is not what one would deem a heinous crime. But maybe we could have speculated with them for a short time about the people who were out to do me (personally) wrong, or perhaps the details of a recent rash of delivery thefts, or maybe even the pros and cons of DNA evidence?

Of course I don’t mean to make light of the police force. I really just called them because I wanted the theft of my package documented; I wanted to be sure this didn’t happen to my neighbors. The two officers were very nice, and honestly, what could I expect them to do? No more than they actually did.

I tell this story to myself quite often these days. I do so to remind myself how to treat others. An emergency, a crisis, or even something as monumental as a home purchase, has to basic sides-the side in need and the side providing assistance. I’ve often wondered how emergency responders manage to face another day, but then I answer my own question as I watch a man climb inside a septic tank with a hose and a broom. Practice makes perfect-we can get used to most anything.

But along the way we have to remember that the side in need is often having one of the worst days of their lives. A litter of kittens left on your doorstep; a low appraisal on the home that finally has a buyer; a crisis for one, just another day for another. My reaction (often more than my action) will set the mood and dictate the outcome. I will remind myself of this every day.