Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote Day 1714: Second guessing. So this is my second post about second guessing. I’m guessing it won’t be my last.
A few seconds before my therapy group started yesterday, one of the members tripped and fell. As the other group members witnessed spilled coffee, blood, and first responders in the hospital reacting to the situation, people were second guessing their own and others’ actions.
In the group (after the injured member had been tended to by expert personnel), we discussed the flight-fight-or-freeze response, trauma, guilt, self-judgment, doing too much, doing too little, What’s the right thing to do?, selfishness, selflessness, empathy, looking, intrusiveness, how time stretches out during emergencies, different perceptions, helping vs. getting out of the way, and — I’m guessing — dozens of variations on the theme of second guessing.
I am not second guessing the healing power of groups, especially in traumatic situations. I’m also not second guessing my photos from yesterday.
In this second, I’m guessing that you — like the group members — want to know if the injured person is okay. The person is fine.
This is the second time I’ve included the song “Second Guessing” by Jonny Lang.
I’m not second guessing my wish to include this second song, by The Guess Who.
Please don’t second guess anything you choose to share in a comment, below.
No second guessing about my gratitude for all who helped me create this second post about “Second Guessing” and — of course! — for YOU.
I’ve been second guessing with my pc for a few days, as it was continually going from black to back…. blink…… back to black ….. blink……. but after a lot of second guessing I “thing” it’s on the mend, …. after some more second guessing during my dreams tonight, hopefully this secondhand computer will work for a second time in the morning.
I second your hopes about your computer, Ivor.
I would hope in an emergency such as you all experienced, Ann, I’d alert (experts), assess (damage to the injured) and act (to what somebody on the phone was telling me to do if first responders were not there already). But that could all go up in the air to the stress of the moment, I’m second-guessing right now.
I’d choose, in a second, to have you be my second in any emergency, Mark.
Im second guessing that things happen for a reason. The trip and fall yesterday and the alert from you this morning. Or perhaps that over hypothesizing! 💛
I second your hypothesis that things happen for a reason, reasonable Val! ❤
Thank you for letting us know that the person who tripped is okay. What a shock for them and everyone.
It took us many seconds to recover, Maureen, but the person who fell is definitely okay. It takes just a second for things to change and that can be shocking. Thank you, as always, for your empathic comments.
I was at a dinner party when there was a medical emergency. I couldn’t assist in first aid, so I held the patient’s hand to offer comfort til the EMTs arrived. That is my go-to response. I may not be a big help, but it never hurts. I guess.
Great post.
I took a second to put my hand on the person’s shoulder. I think that comfort is a big help, Allison.
I’m second-guessing my response to your previous post about second-guessing, but I find that there are some things—for instance my beliefs in helping in a crisis, in equality, and the value of doing things that scare me that I’ve questioned but that have stayed with me, along with my love of the Oxford comma and run-on sentences. It’s comforting that some things just stay with us.
I’ll take a second to ask you not to second-guess your responses, Chris — they are first-rate.
Well, falling in a hospital would be better than on a deserted street, that’s for sure. And I never second guess your photos!
I second your emotions, Lisa! ❤
No, thank you 🙂
No, thank YOU, Alex.
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I’m glad to know your group member is okay! How frightening for everyone. And second-guessing is probably my hobby! LOL! I am afraid I succumb to that habit all too often. I was doing it earlier today…second-guessing a response I’d made to someone. 😦 I eventually let it go. Eventually…. 🙂
I hope it takes less than a second for you to let go of seconding guessing, Debra! ❤