As a business continuity planner, it is part of my job to anticipate the unexpected, to postulate realistic scenarios which could result in crippling or fatal business impacts, and then to develop plans outlining steps for responding effectively to those scenarios. I refer to impacts which might be crippling or fatal to the business, but naturally the safety of a company's human capital (i.e., employees) is considered and planned for as well. For the scenarios I am talking about here are, let's face it, largely disaster scenarios: unexpected acts of God or Man, such as fires, floods, earthquakes, terrorism, pandemics, or more benign but still impactful events such as power outages, computer virus attacks, or server crashes.
I am thinking about expecting the unexpected because this morning, out on my walk, I encountered something unexpected. I had just started out and was walking along the western side of the island, just approaching the railroad tracks, when I heard the clanging of the railroad warning bell. This was not unusual. What was unusual was that, instead of a train, a city vehicle--a white 4x4 truck--suddenly came driving along the tracks from the downtown side of the river, heading east. The truck passed right in front of my astonished eyes and kept going. A couple of seconds later, a train came chugging along from the opposite direction. Truly a 'WTF?' moment if ever there was one.
When I drew closer to the tracks, I looked to the east and there was the truck, just sitting there on the eastbound tracks as the train rolled past on the westbound side. Once again: WTF? So I did the only thing I could think of to do: whipped out my camera and snapped a picture. I don't know if the truck's occupant saw me or cared, whom I never did catch a glimpse of, whomever it was.
I had no idea what the meaning of this truck's presence might have been, nor did I feel compelled to approach the truck to find out. The person appeared to be safe, and I could only assume must have had a good reason for being there, on the train tracks, at that time. I stood there a few moments longer, then looked to my own situation: the train was blocking my progress. I looked to my right side, the river side, saw my solution, and promptly acted upon it. I scrabbled down the river bank and crossed underneath the railroad bridge, then scrabbled back up on the far side, where I calmly resumed my morning perambulation. These trains can be very long, and it was very cold out, and I wasn't about to stand around and wait. It's good to practice decisiveness when you can, since you never know when you'll be facing not merely a pesky inconvenience but a real disaster situation.
The rest of my walk was uneventful, which freed up my mind to contemplate the value of cultivating a mindset that not only expected the unexpected, but that of a mind with the equanimity and flexibility to make quick decisions during unexpected events, and a mind willing to act promptly upon those decisions.
Life flows on, in and around us--at times, it might even flow over and submerge us, which is why those who are wise learn swimming and other useful skills.
D.E.S.
I am thinking about expecting the unexpected because this morning, out on my walk, I encountered something unexpected. I had just started out and was walking along the western side of the island, just approaching the railroad tracks, when I heard the clanging of the railroad warning bell. This was not unusual. What was unusual was that, instead of a train, a city vehicle--a white 4x4 truck--suddenly came driving along the tracks from the downtown side of the river, heading east. The truck passed right in front of my astonished eyes and kept going. A couple of seconds later, a train came chugging along from the opposite direction. Truly a 'WTF?' moment if ever there was one.
When I drew closer to the tracks, I looked to the east and there was the truck, just sitting there on the eastbound tracks as the train rolled past on the westbound side. Once again: WTF? So I did the only thing I could think of to do: whipped out my camera and snapped a picture. I don't know if the truck's occupant saw me or cared, whom I never did catch a glimpse of, whomever it was.I had no idea what the meaning of this truck's presence might have been, nor did I feel compelled to approach the truck to find out. The person appeared to be safe, and I could only assume must have had a good reason for being there, on the train tracks, at that time. I stood there a few moments longer, then looked to my own situation: the train was blocking my progress. I looked to my right side, the river side, saw my solution, and promptly acted upon it. I scrabbled down the river bank and crossed underneath the railroad bridge, then scrabbled back up on the far side, where I calmly resumed my morning perambulation. These trains can be very long, and it was very cold out, and I wasn't about to stand around and wait. It's good to practice decisiveness when you can, since you never know when you'll be facing not merely a pesky inconvenience but a real disaster situation.
The rest of my walk was uneventful, which freed up my mind to contemplate the value of cultivating a mindset that not only expected the unexpected, but that of a mind with the equanimity and flexibility to make quick decisions during unexpected events, and a mind willing to act promptly upon those decisions.
Life flows on, in and around us--at times, it might even flow over and submerge us, which is why those who are wise learn swimming and other useful skills.
D.E.S.
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