I hadn’t been in an ambulance since I got food poisoning when I was 23.
That highly embarrassing episode had unfolded at work, yet it also supplied useful life lessons I tucked away: That it is important to accept one’s human vulnerability; that is appropriate, not weak, to ask for help.
And it is also valuable to be prepared.
Over the years, I have heard snorting dismissals of my propensity to think ahead, and have even been accused of being a survivalist. But when a person grows up in the northeastern snow belt, where power goes out in huge storms, or water breaks up your dock and heaves your sailboat up onto the rocky shore, this habit of rehearsing what to do in unexpected situations evolves naturally.
It is of course not possible to anticipate or avoid every pitfall, and a recent brush with intense illness came as a complete surprise.
And yes, I thought I had food poisoning.
It presented itself in the wee hours of the morning, and though I was not specifically fixed for what unfolded, my commitment to being completely available to my family at all hours paid off.
Not only was my phone charger in the bedroom area, I had upgraded to an integrated block for all my wearable devices. My phone was programmed with emergency contacts, and I had coached my young grandchildren about what to do if they needed to call for help from my phone.
Because I instructed the children in this way, I also mentally rehearsed what I would do if I found myself in a situation where I could use back-up.
In a daze on that crazy night, I put my smartwatch on.
Many hours later, it saved my bacon.
Siri worked, family picked up my call, 911 responded, and I was loaded into an ambulance.
In this unpredictable world, very prepared people snapped into action, and nursed me back to health.
For this, I am grateful indeed. ©
