still thinking but about to have some fun.

all the things we need a life course in to help us do a good job and survive (like parenthood, relationships, good citizenship, and surviving in rescue) are either non existent, too expensive, or require too much time.

the only alternative is to learn as we go along and to grab at learning where we possibly can.... especially if it is free.

i love teaching...it is one of the absolutely best things about nursing..... giving my clients the tools that they need to manage their own health care and wellness....giving them the power to actually re-gain control.

i rarely teach in rescue..usually when someone wants learning, i need to get to the barn...so i throw out a couple of thoughts over my shoulder and then toddle off to check on ellie mae.

but... i like my writing time, i like those quiet hours in the evening and early morning...so look out world, carol has another idea....

Rescue 101

The purpose of this course is to teach newbies in rescue, how to survive. It will be presented with irreverency, and an appalling lack of political correctness but the necessary professional part...like the written material...will all be carefully presented with spell checks and capital letters.

Introduction:

Hello class,

My name is Carol and I will be your instructor in Rescue 101-"How to Survive in Rescue."

My credientials are simple, I have been involved in rescue for very many years and have made every single mistake in the book...and some that no one else has even thought of.

Today we are looking at the most important question in rescue...How do you get people to like you?

Personally, I have no idea. I have managed over these very many years to pretty much piss off everyone at some time or another. But, I do have some thoughts on how I might have been more successful.

1. Be honest, don't hide your mistakes and don't pretend they aren't there. Because sure as shit, someone already knows exactly what you just did so you might as well own up and share before someone else decides to share for you.

2. Don't preach. I know this one really well because I preach all the time and people do not like being preached to. It is boring and a bored audience won't listen but will seek to pass the time by amusing themselves. You are now the only thing directly in their sights and you are currently torturing them so watch out while you pound on the podium and occasionally spit in the air and check to make sure your fly is up too. It could get ugly.

3. Refrain from being a used car salesman. If you have to repeatedly think of a new way to try to get people to buy into what you are saying and if you need an army of testimonials to back you up...you might want to re-think your strategy...there are somethings available that other people just don't want to buy, cut your losses and move on.

4.Don't poke sticks at the tigers...I do this all the time and others do it to me and one of these days someone is going to lose a finger. I need to pay more attention to this... if I lose one of my 2 typing fingers, i will be royally screwed.

5. Choose your friends carefully and NEVER put your name ANYWHERE near other people's stupidity, especially in writing...keep your name for your own not so bright moments...(it is ok, you will have the good company of others like me who have been there before you.) When you are ready and you have time to think things thru you can admit the error of your ways. If you are lucky someone might actually forgive you and if they don't, at least you have the opportunity to forgive yourself.

6.Never expect more of others than you expect from yourself because that really pisses people off...and everyone will know exactly how much you do and how far you will stretch and how high you went and if you climbed up that holy ladder all by yourself or if you climbed up it on other people's backs and maybe even knocked someone off on the way.

8. Be prepared if what you have to say is unpopular and make sure you are comfortable standing alone in the freezing rain without an umbrella. While you are standing there cold and dripping wet, give a thought or two if this is that important or are you just a cold dripping wet stubborn fool....if it is important, hunker down and wait the storm out, if it isn't go inside and grab a dry towel.

9. Hypothermia is the major cause of death among rescuers so long johns, warm socks and water proof matches are critical to continued survival.

10. Don't be so serious, have some fun...look for smiles and happiness and nice ways to laugh, especially at yourself. Rescue is not all about blood, sweat, and tears, it is about you and me...and sometimes it is actually fun and we are actually good naturedly funny as we struggle around in the dark and bump into things.

If you follow the above 10 simple rules, you might have more friends than I do...but maybe you won't and that is ok as long as the most important person in the world is your friend, and that is yourself.

In the next Part of Rescue 101, we will discuss "Sure Fire Ways to go up in Flames" I have alot of experience with this one!