Good At Hiding The Bodies

But, Rodney, you’re good at crisis management. I don’t think you should view it as a negative

I was meeting with my therapist. That’s something I do every week. Mostly it’s been for anxiety. We’ve worked through much of that. Today we were talking about crisis management. We decided I’m good at it. But, I don’t like being good at it.

Don’t get me wrong, being good at it, is better than being bad at it. I’ve spent years learning how to manage crisis. You know how the more you do something, the better you get at it? Yeah, it was like that.

The crisis in my life have been nearly constant. That sounds melodramatic. Even I rolled my eyes a little as I typed it. I used to think that everyone’s life was similar. That mine was nothing special. I was just a better story teller.

My therapist, after hearing my story disagreed. For whatever reason, I’ve been cursed to “live in interesting times” as the old Chinese proverb suggests.

Recently, I witnessed a car crash. A few nights ago it unfolded directly in front of me. A truck turned left in front of an oncoming car. What happens to you during a crisis? Are you one that freezes? Flees? I tend to be moved to action.

Before the cars had come to a stop, I had my hazard lights turned on. Put my car in park. Jumped out and went to check on the first car. The girl was in shock, but fortunately not otherwise hurt. I suggested she turn off her car. I then went and checked on the second vehicle. They were also safe, but shaken up. I cleared the road of some debris and then went and got a flashlight and started directing traffic around the wrecks until the police arrived.

I don’t remember spending very much time thinking about what I should do. I just started doing it. I kept waiting for the “let down” later. You know, when the crisis is past and you get the shakes or feel emotionally drained?

Nope. Not a bit. I didn’t even mention it to my family. It didn’t seem that important at the time.

Even now, I’m a little hesitant to share it. Isn’t it “what anyone would do”? We all imagine what we would do in a crisis. I think we all imagine ourselves the hero of the story, saving the day, rescuing the princess (or prince!)

We will, hopefully, never have to consider what we’d do in a true life or death situation. I like to think I’d respond the way I did at the car wreck. Don’t get hysterical. Just get busy solving the crisis.

It’s one thing to be good at crisis management. But, what if you thrive in it? What if you create crisis so that you can solve them? You’d know if you were that kind of person, wouldn’t you? I would hope so.

But, what if you didn’t? If you were in denial, how would you know? If it’s any consolation, my therapist doesn’t think I’m that kind of person.

Me? I’m not so sure. She thinks I’m good at crisis management. But, I’m worried that maybe I’m just good at hiding the bodies.

Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.

Follow him on
Twitter (@rodneymbliss)
Facebook (www.facebook.com/rbliss)
LinkedIn (www.LinkedIn.com/in/rbliss)
or email him at rbliss at msn dot com

(c) 2019 Rodney M Bliss, all rights reserved