Monday, I walked into work 45 minutes early, and there was already a frantic instructor in my laboratory going through the fridge looking for something. I had another emergency with which to deal, and so I started that before I got to work on her requests. As the day wore on, I began to think about emergencies and crisis because everything is 'on demand' unless it involves what I demand. You expect me to be available for you without having to return the favor.
I know that different things matter to different people. Much human conflict comes from different perspective on what is urgent and important. There are things that are urgent that are not important and things that are important that are not urgent. Some things are both urgent and important, and some are neither. Much of that depends on your perspective. With changing times and changing values, these words mean different things. I will address what they mean to me.
Many things are urgent. Those are things that require an answer right now. Sometimes, my answer is “come back later”. When my phone rings, I don’t jump up to answer it immediately. Sometimes I am busy. I figure that however urgent it may be, if it’s really important you will leave me a message, but many people do not. When the trash man is down the street or the phone rings, or someone needs me to come readjust the digital microscope right now, those things are relevant to the moment, and if I don’t do them, they don’t really matter.
Some things are important. Those are the things we probably should be doing, like cleaning the bathroom, reading to our children, or voting next Tuesday. Important things really matter, and what you classify as important reflects your beliefs, values, and norms. People make time for the things that are important to them.
Some things seem either urgent and important but are not really either one. The score of your high school football game, most hunger pains, most fads, etc., fall into this category. Your team will be made of completely different people playing teams made of completely different people next year. If you don’t eat, assuming you have eaten that day, many cravings pass. Maybe the style will cycle around to what you already own next year, and you can save the money on a new wardrobe that’s only good for the season. That happened to me in high school, much to my surprise.
Other things are urgent and important. Those actually depend heavily on your perception. For me, the election is both urgent and important, because I have a week in which to vote, and I won’t get to again for at least two more years. If a family member were sick or dying, that would be urgent and important, or if my own health were threatened. Were I to suddenly lose my job, finding a new one would be urgent and important so I can pay my bills, although the bills are not important in and of themselves, urgent though they may be. Most of the things that are urgent and important involve the people in our lives who matter to us, in particular our families, friends, and other loved ones.
Someone said that “poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine”. Although the situation you create may be urgent to anyone and important to you, usually if I was left out of the planning and execution, but especially if I stand to gain nothing from helping out, it is quite frankly unimportant to me. Normally, I try to be a nice guy anyway, where it is wise to be, but don’t let other people’s welfare come at the expense of your own. You cannot give to others if you are destitute yourself. This is especially true when their idea of charity goes in only one direction- to benefit them.
Things from your past that didn’t make it to your future were not really important. Let that be your guide. Right now, I have urgent, albeit unimportant business to which I choose to attend. Adieu.
I know that different things matter to different people. Much human conflict comes from different perspective on what is urgent and important. There are things that are urgent that are not important and things that are important that are not urgent. Some things are both urgent and important, and some are neither. Much of that depends on your perspective. With changing times and changing values, these words mean different things. I will address what they mean to me.
Many things are urgent. Those are things that require an answer right now. Sometimes, my answer is “come back later”. When my phone rings, I don’t jump up to answer it immediately. Sometimes I am busy. I figure that however urgent it may be, if it’s really important you will leave me a message, but many people do not. When the trash man is down the street or the phone rings, or someone needs me to come readjust the digital microscope right now, those things are relevant to the moment, and if I don’t do them, they don’t really matter.
Some things are important. Those are the things we probably should be doing, like cleaning the bathroom, reading to our children, or voting next Tuesday. Important things really matter, and what you classify as important reflects your beliefs, values, and norms. People make time for the things that are important to them.
Some things seem either urgent and important but are not really either one. The score of your high school football game, most hunger pains, most fads, etc., fall into this category. Your team will be made of completely different people playing teams made of completely different people next year. If you don’t eat, assuming you have eaten that day, many cravings pass. Maybe the style will cycle around to what you already own next year, and you can save the money on a new wardrobe that’s only good for the season. That happened to me in high school, much to my surprise.
Other things are urgent and important. Those actually depend heavily on your perception. For me, the election is both urgent and important, because I have a week in which to vote, and I won’t get to again for at least two more years. If a family member were sick or dying, that would be urgent and important, or if my own health were threatened. Were I to suddenly lose my job, finding a new one would be urgent and important so I can pay my bills, although the bills are not important in and of themselves, urgent though they may be. Most of the things that are urgent and important involve the people in our lives who matter to us, in particular our families, friends, and other loved ones.
Someone said that “poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine”. Although the situation you create may be urgent to anyone and important to you, usually if I was left out of the planning and execution, but especially if I stand to gain nothing from helping out, it is quite frankly unimportant to me. Normally, I try to be a nice guy anyway, where it is wise to be, but don’t let other people’s welfare come at the expense of your own. You cannot give to others if you are destitute yourself. This is especially true when their idea of charity goes in only one direction- to benefit them.
Things from your past that didn’t make it to your future were not really important. Let that be your guide. Right now, I have urgent, albeit unimportant business to which I choose to attend. Adieu.
1 comment:
And amen again!! Just because someone can find their way to my door does not mean I have time to deal with them. I love this quote by Robert Fulghum:
“One of life's best coping mechanisms is to know the difference between an inconvenience and a problem. If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you've got a problem. Everything else is an inconvenience. Life is inconvenient. Life is lumpy. A lump in the oatmeal, a lump in the throat and a lump in the breast are not the same kind of lump. One needs to learn the difference.”
Thanks for always being an uplift to me.
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