This is another blog post that really doesn’t have anything
to do with pediatrics but for some reason was what I was thinking about while
running today.
A few months ago, one of our vehicles had a flat tire. For a
variety of reasons that I won’t bore you with (in part because I can’t remember
them), the only time I had to change the tire was late on a Saturday afternoon.
But when I went to take off the flat tire, one of the lug nuts was stripped and
the wrench just kept slipping off. I really couldn’t figure out what to do and
knew we needed to have the vehicle available Monday morning.
I texted a friend for advice and called around until I found
one tire place in town which was open for another 30 minutes. I pumped up the
tire with the bicycle tire pump, threw the pump in the back, and headed to town
hoping for the best.
After I arrived safely, it took them about ten minutes to
remove a nail, patch the tire, and get it pumped up again for me. We chatted
about college football while they were doing it and I was ready to leave in no
time. When I went to pay, the charge was $10. Forty-five minutes earlier I had
been in a panic trying to figure out what to do and these guys saved me. I told
them to charge me more but they insisted $10 was the charge.
That made me think about how we determine the value of
things. The guys who fixed my tire possess equipment and knowledge to know how
to patch a tire. That is a valuable thing to a guy like me who does not know
how to do it himself.
We all have our own niche and expertise and need to value
that in each other. When I have a patient who needs more help than I can
provide, I refer them to a doctor who specializes in the problem they have.
When an oak tree fell on our garage roof, I called guys who could remove it
safely. If I want to understand a scientific issue, I read things written by
the scientists who work on it. If I have a problem with the house, I call a
contractor. When my snowblower quit working, I called folks who know how to fix
snowblowers. If I don’t know which E&M code to use for a visit, I ask our
office manager.
We all depend on each other for different things. I know
some really handy and talented people but I don’t know anyone who can get
through life all on their own. At the risk of sounding preachy, it reminds me
of I Corinthians 12:14 and following which talks about the need for every part
of the body to do its job for the body to function properly.
So look for the value in others and acknowledge it. It will
make their day and it will help you appreciate them more.
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