The Enviable Courage of First Responders
My wife and I were recently traveling. I learned many years ago that there is an art to traveling. Jason Barger’s book “Step Back From The Baggage Claim” (visit the website by clicking here) should be required reading for every traveler world wide. When I am being thoughtful, I remember to stick a copy of Jason’s book in my travel bag and hand it to someone who could learn from it and will pay it forward to someone else. (if you’re reading this and you’d like a copy and promise to pay it forward, I will give you one for FREE, just email me at AlwaysThereHomeCare@gmail.com).
Jason has lived his life with grace and in his book “Step Back From The Baggage Claim”, Barger enlightens readers by sharing stories about his vast collection of human observation. Barger spent an entire week traveling from airport to airport (while never leaving the airport) across the United States. Jason has also worked with corporations across the world and shared his message with millions of others as a keynote speaker and author.
During his travels, Jason logged over 10,000 minutes of human observation. In one week! He saw the good and the bad and chronicled all of it. Triumphant moments, grief stricken travelers…all teaching us lessons. By traveling with ‘grace’ Barger teaches us so much about who we are and how we can support one another, even while we travel.
How travelers handle our ‘first world travel problems’ can be downright embarrassing. Travelers often complain about delays that are caused by elements completely out of our control. Weather. Mechanical issues. Our favorite muffins are sold out. Traveling brings out the best and worst of each of us.
Nowhere is freedom personified better as an action word than when we travel between the states with ease. When we travel, we must embrace our freedoms and remind ourselves of the sacrifices others have made to enable us to enjoy these freedoms. In our home, we have this quote framed by St. Augustine:
“The World is a book. Those who don’t travel only read a page.”
If the purpose of traveling is to unplug? I personally need to accomplish this by plugging in. For me, I simply need to plug in my noise cancelling head phones. If you haven’t yet splurged on a set of noise cancelling headphones, I think you should.
Silence is GOLDEN. I couldn’t be happier than I am while enjoying the silence created by mine. Particularly on a noisy flight when the jet stream has risen the ambient volume of everything. The break through noises pierce our senses and invade thoughts and make intentional calming measures very difficult to enjoy.
On this particular trip, my headphones nearly cost me an invaluable reminder. If you are tuned in like Barger (as I was NOT) traveling can expose the very best of us.
As our flight had only been in the air for about twenty minutes, a woman seated several rows ahead of us was experiencing a medical crisis. An announcement overhead that I missed asked if there were any medical personnel on the flight. I missed this entirely.
The response was immediate and the two women (either doctor’s or nurses) who immediately responded tended to the woman for the duration of the three hour flight. It was heartwarming. It was brave. It was selfless. I sat in envy of the service and tender care that was given to this woman as she was successfully nursed back to health.
This selfless act? The patiently and lovingly given ongoing care provided for several hours to someone in crisis and in need? It served as a refreshing reminder of the care I can provide to others. Of the care Always There Home Care can provide to others.
While I was ‘unplugged’ this example really served to plug me back into the intentional ways I can be helping those around me. How I can be a better employer, director and the best C.C.I.C. “Chief Caregiver In Charge” I can be to our clients and their families.
It also reminded me how much I admire the first responders of the world. They are amongst us. They are us. We should all remember how important it is to jump when given the opportunity to serve someone in their time of need.
As yet another example of care in action, look for another article this week on how “Caregivers ARE First Responders”.
Ben Smith is the Founder, President and C.C.I.C. (Chief Caregiver In Charge) at Always There Home Care.
Our mission at Always There Home Care is to enable the seniors and their family members we are honored to serve to live at home all the days of their life in comfort and with grace, and always with choice.
“Your Home. Your Rules. Our Care.” is our motto and our mission.
Find out how we can help your senior loved one by calling our 24-Hour Home Care Hotline (614) HOME-CARE 466-3227 and scheduling a FREE In-Home Care Assessment. You’ll meet Ben and discuss the care needs of your loved one.
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