Everybody wants to do something to help, but nobody wants to be first. – Pearl Bailey
First Aid Training. What do you know, what can you do?
What does that mean?
How often have you seen it in movies, someone is on the ground and a crowd of people surround them. Yet everyone hesitates. No one approaches, they all just look. Who will be the first to step into the circle and approach the person on the ground?
The same is true in real life. Yes, you’ll find fewer dramatic pauses in real life than in the movies, but a lot of what happens still happens because no one wants to be the first to step in and do something about the situation (whatever the situation might be).
There have been all kinds of beatings of and by children on the internet. Most everyone involved later mentions regrets, and also mentions fear of being the first to do something to stop it. In my mind, this is the darkest place we can end up, if we fail to heed the wisdom of the quote.
Please note that this quote covers a wide range, anything from physical violence to medical needs, as well as all forms of social injustice. Where would we be if Rosa Parks had been unwilling to be the first?
Why is helping important?
Whether it’s breaking up a fight or coming to the aid of someone who fell down, helping (and being willing to step forward and be the first) is part of human nature for a great number of people. Yes, some are a bit more timid (which is the point of the quote), but nearly all of us want to help in some way.
However, from the viewpoint of the person who is in need of succor, it doesn’t much matter if they aren’t being helped, right? All they care about is that first person stepping forward and getting the ball rolling. While I don’t ever recall being in that position, but if I ever am, I know what I’m going to be hoping for; a bold helper. How about you?
Where can I apply this in my life?
When there is a disaster in a remote part of the world, nearly everyone wants to help. The problem is how to get the food, water, money, and people over there. Fortunately, recognising both this problem, and the quote, there are agencies around the world who specialize in these kinds of logistics, and can have donation centers ready in days, and money donations ready in hours.
So on the world stage, there are already people who are there first for almost everything you can imagine. There are doctors who travel and help out with disease outbreaks. There are groups who travel the world to teach modern, sustainable farming to people in the remotest areas of the world, so that they may feed themselves without destroying their land in the process.
So that takes care of the worst of the international and national level disasters. But what about the little things? If somebody drops something and you can get it for them, do you? Or will you stand there like everyone else, and just watch? It might be something to think about. And act on, if you want an easy first step for training yourself to act instead of watch.
What other situations can you think of, that happen fairly often, that you can help out with? Easy things might include opening doors, holding the elevator, or even helping someone with very full hands. Grab some paper and write down anything you can think of that happened in the last few weeks where you could have (or actually did) help someone, rather than watching.
The big ticket items are the ones where people tend to be even more reluctant to help. If there’s a car wreck, what can you do to help? Even something as simple as getting over to the next hill and waving people to slow down can be an immense help.
Stopping violence and assisting in medical emergencies are usually best left to the experts. However, sometimes the experts aren’t there, and something needs to be done right now. That’s going to be a tough call for most people, unless they have the proper training.
Something you might consider is getting basic first aid training. Stop by a fire station and ask if they are going to be giving a class anytime soon, or if they know someplace where you could take a class. If they don’t know, they’ll help you find out.
You can also take personal defense classes in everything from open hand to weapon based methods. Even if you aren’t ready to get in and break up a struggle, it is amazing how people will jump and run when you take a good solid stance, shout a good solid Kiai, and tell them to drop it and run. Just be prepared if they decide to play with you instead.
Being the first person to help always has some risk associated with it. Fortunately, most places have ‘Good Samaritan’ laws in place, designed to protect you from a legal standpoint. Be sure to know what your local rules and regulations are, and what your liabilities are.
In the end, it’s a personal decision, and mine will always be to help. I hope you will take some time to consider this, and be ready to help a little more often as well.
From: Twitter, @WomansWisdom
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/pearlbaile383948.html
Photo by EDV Media Director
Happy Birthday to Pearl Bailey, born on 29 March, 1918.
