TEAR IT OFF... OR EASE IN SLOWLY
Thursday August 11th 10:33 amI need to find out which camp most of my readers are in, and by knowing this you might be able to help me. I think I can find out by asking just a couple of questions. I will give you just two scenarios. First: try to remember back to when you were a kid and there was some sort of scrape or cut which required a bandage. Okay... do you have that memory firmly in mind? When the bandage had to be removed and you knew (because the blood had dried and congealed) that some healthy tissue was going to come off along with the bandage: did you tear it off quickly... or did you, ever-so-slowly peel it away?
Secondly: did you ever climb a fence or sneak into park pools after hours... or was that only me? (lol) Anyway... on the sly or not, when you first entered waters that you knew were going to be very cold... did you, ever-so-slowly ease into the pool: or did you just dive in and get it over with quickly?
Alright, now that's my two scenarios to find out what all of you think is the best way to get past something that (at first) will be unpleasant, but you know rewards will soon follow. I mean, even with the cut or scrape and the bandage being removed, at first pain... but healing soon follows. At first, there is biting and numbing cold when you enter frigid waters... soon though, the joy of swimming becomes the reward.
Now, one final question for this blog. If you have to do or say something which will not be received well and will cause hurt... do you come straight to the point and get it done quickly, or do you dance around a little and hope everyone catches on? I will give you two examples, and you tell me which one works best.
The captain of an Army unit has just been informed that one of the soldiers under his command has lost his mother by a heart attack. Okay... here are two ways of giving the soldier this news.
First: the captain calls Kowalski (this is the soldier who is now motherless) to his office and he says: “Soldier, at 0700 hours yesterday morning your mother dropped dead of an apparent heart attack... you have my condolences. Dismissed.” Now, that is rather blunt but there is no denying that the message was received.
Secondly: the captain calls for all of the soldiers in Kowalski's barracks to fall out for an inspection. After all of the men are in a long line standing side-by-side the captain says: “Alright men, all of you who have mothers who are still living, take one step forward. (pause) NOT SO FAST there Kowalski!” Though a little more subtle... I suppose this does get the point across.
Anyway, I am planning something that (at first) will be unpleasant and I need some help. So, do I tear it off, or ease in slowly? Do I become blunt... or beat around the bush? I wish I knew!
At times I think I see things with crystal-clarity, and I KNOW what I need to do... other times though I feel as confused as Curt Gowdy of NBC fame made his viewers feel when a ball game went into extra innings and he announced: “The 'Tonight Show' has been canceled, the 'Tomorrow Show' will be seen later tonight, and the 'Today Show' will be seen tomorrow.”
Sometimes it seems to me that my life is an Abbott and Costello and “Who's on first?” skit. In case you haven't seen that particular skit I will include a link which will need to be copied and pasted for viewing: these guys were really good!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sShMA85pv8M
It's funny as a skit, but not as funny when decisions have to be made and I am not sure what is the least painful... and the best way to make these decisions. Help (:
posted by Robin Johnson @ 10:33 AM
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