being there

be there

this is a book called Fish! and subsequently, Fish! tales and Fish! sticks.  It is all based on a seattle fish market and the show they put on for their customers daily.  I was able to go a seminar based on this book and one of the most important things that i learned was to "be there"

this may sound simple, but being there is difficult in this plugged in world.  For me it meant, to not be walking away while talking to someone, to not be counting the seconds until someone gets to their point (yes, i do this), or trying to figure out what someone's agenda is. 

I have a remarkable opportunity to "be there" this week.  I went to a luncheon, initially to campaign, but there wasnt many people there.  I started talking to a lady who is roommates with the crazy accounting teacher that i had last semester.  I didnt realize they were roommates and they were both widows.  I had always wondered why my teacher chose to move from florida to warner, america.  She did it to have support.  Anyway, this lady began to tell me the story about how she lost her husband and what they did to fight for his life.  I dont think that i have ever been as present as i was during this story.  Her husband had constant acid reflux and the doctors were unable to give him any relief, he bounced between specialists and doctors until someone told them that is was esophogial cancer and he had weeks to live.  She found someone on the internet and was told to take him to Mexico for care.  They had no insurance and knew no spanish, but off to mexico they went.  One of the first people they met was a young doctor that spoke some english.  When the doctor left the room, the husband immediately looked at his wife and told him that he only wanted that doctor to do surgery on him, if it came to it.  It did, his stomach hemoraged and she insisted that had to call an ambulance, that doctor came in and told her there was no time for an ambulance and he did surgery immediately.  He saved her husbands life, she sat by his bed for 3 consecutive days, not knowing a word of spanish and unable to communicate with the staff.  They continued to drain her bank account with promises of recovery.  Finally, her friend knew there was something wrong and flew to mexico.  She took one look at her husband and knew the situation was never going to get any better.  The wife bought an old wheel chair, wheeled her husband from this place that he was going to inevitably die and went to the airport.  She told her husband that he was not to ask for oxygen or show any signs of sickness or he would not be allowed to fly.  These two women hugged the man all the way through the airport and safely made it back to the states.  The man died the next day after arriving home. 

I am a better person today for "being there" on that day.