One of my favorite books is
All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. In this book, author Robert Fulghum outlines how we can take the simple lessons we learn in Kindergarten and apply them to our family life, our work, our government and our world.
Here are some of my favorites:
Share everything.
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Put things back where you found them.
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Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
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When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
For me, all I really need to know I learned in the Ready Room. The Ready Room is where the Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteers monitor the scanners and stage until Red Cross assistance is needed on a disaster scene. There is a lot of training and learning that happens in the Ready Room. Sometimes it is a discussion about a book recently read. Sometimes it is a new card game. Sometimes it is something more far-reaching.
A couple of weeks ago, the Monday day team had an outrageously busy day. They responded to two multi-family disasters and one single family fire. They saw 17 clients and assisted 7 different families. They returned to the chapter more than two hours past their scheduled shift. They were tired, and the DAT truck was empty.
As they made their way into the Ready Room, they found a freshly brewed pitcher of iced tea had been prepared for them by the night team leader. They all poured themselves a cup and sank into chairs in the Ready Room. The exchange of information and equipment that makes up ‘shift change’ occurred and as the conversation finished, the night team leader told them “Go home. I’ll take care of the truck. You guys have done enough today.” They thankfully accepted his offer. And with a cup of tea for the road, the exhausted day team volunteers headed for home.
Fast forward 7 days. It is Monday again. The same team leaders are on the day shift and the same team leader for night shift. While I am in the Ready Room I see a plate of homemade cookies on the counter and a note that makes me smile.
Here’s what the note said:
To the Monday Night Crew,
Thank you for the tea and the help. Enjoy!
With thanks,
The Monday Day Crew
The note made me smile. I love that this is the culture on our DAT. I love that I have the privilege of working with these volunteers.
The lessons I learned in the Ready Room that day:
- Take care of each other.
- Pay it forward and always do your part.
- Homemade cookies and iced tea are good for you.
- The DAT teams stick together.
Those lessons have a familiar ring to them…
BW
Becky White is the Disaster Specialist for the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter.