Hi, just want to say I am in agreement with you all the way, but you know that. By the same token, I need to say that for me I cannot give way to panic, and if I may I'd like to explain why only because someone else may have the same sort of thing going on.
Below is a photo of one of my old pilots' logbooks, I blanked out my surname to protect the guilty and put a red box around the bit that's relevant here. The reason for the photo is to prove I'm not just waffling
So, on that day I had taken a friend for a flight in my Cessna, we'd run from Derby to Caernarvon and then down to Haverfordwest via the RAF low fly zone in the valleys. I'd done the run every weekend whilst the RAF boys were in the pub and loved it. We left H'west and climbed to 10,000ft to run over the beacons and down to Swansea for lunch, but 15 miles out of Swansea the engine failed and as we only had one it was going to get tricky.
My friend wasn't taking it well and at that moment, that literal instance, I knew that if I panicked we would die on some hillside in Wales. There was no 'if' there was only 'we will' and thru' sheer force of will I held it together and did the numbers, I knew a 3 deg descent would give me a glide in of 500ft and that I should be able to glide into Swansea. As you can see from the logbook we landed safely, had the magneto replaced (the plane was older than me
) and flew back to Derby after having our lunch. My friend said later "I really thought we were going to die until I saw how calm you were. You freaked me out".
So there's my story of actually being in a life or death situation and not panicking. Just to balance the books here's why I can't afford to panic.
Remember the B'ham bombings? I do because I was on one of the teams that treated those kids. I was their age and used to drink in those same pubs. I'll keep it short, what I saw, the choices that were made in triage, left me with PTSD and I quit medicine later on because of the nightmares. I know I did my job correctly, I also know I was panicking and that panic drove those events so deep I can recall every second right now, it will never leave me.
In these times, you are right my friend, we need to do everything we can, put everything in place to protect ourselves and those we love. It would be criminal not to.
It is also important to grasp the reality that some things are beyond us. Whether it was the ground rushing towards me, the senior doctors marking those we could not save, or knowing that there are people who will ignore the facts of this pandemic.
I have no family as such, you, all of you here, are surrogates in that sense and I don't want to see anyone in pain through something they can't control.
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Completely agree.
@OldButBold
as anyone who knows any thing about military battles the best plans only last until first contact.
then it's make it up as you go along , as best you can with the available information.
the time to prep and plan, is before the storm/battle arrives, think out possible scenarios and plan for the worst hope for the best.
i wouldn't identify any war leaders battle plans a panicking,,
misguided ill informed, perhaps, but we all must do similar on a daily basis,
a holiday is a good example
The forward reece for where to go are the facilities adequate, etc passports lotions visas etc..no panic.. planning.
the example you give exemplifies that nicely.
you had some skills and when a run of the mill flight went wrong, that pre planning, skill set kicked in
and saved the day, thank god.
The other sounds horrendous, massive sympathies have family in Birmingham,
so that was a worrying time for mum and dad..( comms not so good back then )
You did what you were trained to do.
in awful circumstances, and that is where our medics will be a week or twos time.
prep, prep, prep..as much as the can, they still can only estimate the actual outcomes.
have they panicked by doing that, certainly not..you reduce the panic by having a plan.
the US has massive experience of this during hurricane seasons, prep, plan makes sure all know what to do.
does everyone get through it..sadly no
But i believe more get through it because of those days / hours of thought, and planning
...and then they prep and plan for the next one.
we all know this is here, it's growing and will hit.
YOU showed the power of planning, knowing what to do in a possible scenario,
then you didn't panic, you did what had to be done to survive.
i like your style as you know.
so i will copy that..(i hope) and i will do my best
because there is NO alternative.
i wish you well. my friend.
thank you for sharing, most gracious of you,
and with such good heart.
may we all find out moments of strength, when needed.