The disaster movie begins. The dreaded event finally happens, and hundreds scream and run. Others stand slack-jawed, frozen. The hero leaps into action. He saves lost children from certain death, directs the terrified mob toward a safe area, and prods the fear-stricken into motion. What sets the hero apart from the crowd? Is he a freak of nature? Brave beyond imagination?
When you dissect the movie’s plotline, you often find the character’s backstory shows he has been predicting the calamity, has run multiple scenarios, and devised a survival plan. Police, firefighters, pilots, EMTs, doctors, nurses, and others spend years training and developing their emergency reactions. They conduct drills, learning what to expect when the unexpected hits. You don’t need extensive practice to have a strategy.
I am a worrier — a worrier with purpose. Whenever I find myself concerned about a situation, I develop action steps to help me deal with the crisis when/if it occurs. I then share my proposals with family members. Some of my solutions sound silly. The family knows when and where to meet if we become separated in the grocery store. We practice procedures in case of a house fire, a tornado, or a snowstorm. The wonderful thing about a plan is the ability to make tweaks as reality dictates. The household can pivot and absorb those changes with little communication because they have a framework.
We are facing many unknowns, and we are worried. If ever there was a time to combat valid concerns with sensible, thoughtful, imaginative plans, it is now. I am optimistic and ready to press on.
What plans are you making?
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Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer