I don't believe every thing I hear. I don't always agree with other's assessment of risk. I would venture to say you don't either. When I'm encouraged to read a book about a topic I'm interested in, I ask, "Who's the author?" When I'm talking to someone about a class they took or a conference they attended, I'm usually asking who the speaker or teacher was. Why? Because there are some authors, speakers and educators that I won't spend the time with.
Let me share with you a portion of an email our company sent out. We get these weeklyl "fun" emails that get you thinking; This one sure did.
The photographer for a national magazine was assigned to get photos of a great forest fire. Smoke at the scene was too thick to get any good shots, so he frantically called his home office to hire a plane. "It will be waiting for you at the airport!" he was assured by his editor. As soon as he got to the small, rural airport, sure enough, a plane was warming up near the runway. He jumped in with his equipment and yelled, "Let's go! Let's go!" The pilot swung the plane into the wind and soon they were in the air. "Fly over the north side of the fire," said the photographer, "and make three or four low level passes." "Why?" asked the pilot. "Because I'm going to take pictures! I'm a photographer, and photographers take pictures!" said the photographer with great exasperation. After a long pause the pilot said, "You mean you're not the instructor?"
WOW! I'm thinking what a really stupid thing to do.
How does a normally rational person get into these sitautions? Is it that they don't use common sense? Is it that they don't have the skills to evaluate the potential risk and make a factual-based decision? I don't think that's it. I believe that in these moments we are not thinking at all. We have let our emotions control us and we have overridden our normal rational thinking.
In the joke above, the photographer was in such a hurry to get that perfect picture that he forgot to ensure he was getting into the right airplane. Perhaps he saw this as his one chance at the Pulitzer Prize or a promotion to the senior correspondent for his newspaper. His frantic actions to get those pictures overrode his common sense.
Paul Harvey would have given us the "rest of the story." We didn't get that. So indulge me for a moment. I'd like to think that they reached the control tower and were patched through to a seasoned instructor who was able to guide them through getting back on the ground quickly and safely. The photographer didn't get the picture, but he did learn some valuable lessons about letting the power of the moment or the emotions override the normal check points to ensure safety.
I wish I could say that I never get into those emotional situations where all my normal fact-based reasoning is short circuited. I can't. What I do see is that I'm in too much of a hurry and I allow the "moment" to seize my emotions and I'm off chasing a wild fire.
There is a Bible character that I admire very much. It's Mary the mother of Jesus. In Luke 2:19, the Bible says "But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart". This passage is written right after Mary had delivered the baby Jesus and the angels and shepherds were praising and worshipping. In verse 51, Mary had another occasion to talk about Jesus' when they found him talking with the leaders in the temple when he was twelve years old. The Bible says they were "astonished" at his understanding and answers. Again, the scripture says Mary kept these things to herself.
I can only imagine the emotions that were clamoring for attention in her life. SHE was the mother of the great and long-awaited Messaiah. HER baby was going to deliver Israel. THIS child was special! But she kept quiet and waited until the time was right. Not until the wedding in Cana did she speak out. Her knowledge of who Jesus really was evidenced by her words "Do whatever he tells you." By this time, we're told Jesus was about 30 years old. That's a long time to hold all these thoughts inside!
My question is then, what's the hurry? The situation didn't happen over night. The fire is still burning. That fantastic money-making opportunity will be there tomorrow. That friends problem will work itself out without your "immediate" intervention. Take time to think about it. Take time to ponder the facts and things you have learned over the years before making those decisions. Use your life's experiences to evaluate the facts; use your common sense. I guarantee you, it's much better to know who you're flying with BEFORE you take off!
