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Priorities

There’s nothing like a category 4 hurricane on a direct path to your house to help you assess your priorities. This was an interesting week. It looked as if we were going to take a direct hit from a 140 mile per hour storm. Living in southeast Florida on the Atlantic Ocean, across the street from the intracoastal waterway, is about the worst possible place to be for such an event.

One of the benefits of hurricanes over other natural disasters (like earthquakes or tornados) is the opportunity to evacuate. We typically have a 48-hour window where we have an idea of the severity and trajectory of the storm. That is the point at which most people begin to make preparations. It is also where we begin to prioritize the importance of certain things. The most important is human life. In the case of Hurricane Matthew, I chose to evacuate. The decision was based on the safety of my family. I am insured for the stuff and it’s all replaceable. My family is not. The other consideration is the emotional well-being of my children. I have stayed for storms in the past. It can be traumatic. Imagine sitting in complete darkness after losing power, hearing your house make sounds you’ve never heard as you feel the shifts from the impact of the wind, wondering if your house can withstand the abuse, then pondering what will happen to you if it can’t. It’s frightening for adults and scarring for kids. My decision to leave was an easy one.

Once we realized we were leaving, the question became, what do we bring? We began with things we couldn’t replace: family pictures, pets, kid’s favorite stuffed animals. Next we looked at things difficult to replace: passports, important documents, outstanding bills. Then I packed what I would need in the event I couldn’t get back home or if the house was completely destroyed: clothes, materials for work, computers.

We all want the next big thing in life: the raise, the bigger house, the nicer car. If things work out well for us, we end up accumulating lots of stuff. In the moments when life gets real, we realize what is truly important. It’s not the stuff, it’s our loved ones. There’s nothing like a potential life threatening event to put our priorities in proper alignment. It doesn’t have to take the potential of a catastrophic event to realign priorities. Why not take this opportunity to think through your life situation. Are your priorities where they should be?

In the end we were incredibly lucky. The most devastating parts of the storm remained offshore as it passed over our area. The irony is that due to this experience, many people will choose to ignore the warnings the next time a hurricane is in our path. It comes down to priorities. If you find yourself in a similar situation just remember, life is precious and things can be replaced.

 

Posted by Joel Brookman in Decisions, judgement and tagged priorities.

 

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