What is the most important thing to do before crossing the street?
To be fair, we are taught to do one whole thing, that is comprised of multiple actions.
What we are told to do is to make sure we look both ways. This command is broken down into several steps. The most obvious steps, are those that involve directions.
The first step, is to look left. The next step is to look right. (These could obviously be reversed, depending on your preference.) After these steps, the most important piece of this process occurs, the why in the evaluation. We execute the first two actions, to achieve a specific goal.
We are making sure nothing is coming!
Why?
To avoid harm of course. Looking left, then right does no good if we determine there are cars coming from both directions, then choose to walk deliberately into harms way.
If we see there are cars coming from one direction or both, we wait until the cars pass, then return to step one.
If again, one or more of these steps reveals potential danger, we repeat the cycle until we can safely cross.
What we regard as a simple process of crossing the street, can actually take quite a bit of time, given many factors, including the amount traffic flow, the time of day, the speed of approaching vehicles, or even an individuals mobility status.
This process of crossing the street can be compared to how we make decisions in our lives. We see our goal, directly in front of us. There isn’t a step in the directions that states, “Look forward.” It is assumed that is the direction one wishes to go. We scan our environment to the left and right for risk factors, before proceeding towards our aim. If we see something that may potentially derail us, we pause. If we don’t think we can get to our goal fast enough, we balk. If too many risk factors persist, we may abandon our attempt altogether.
In all these considerations, we feel a sense of control. We feel this because we can safely follow our steps in our process, to meet our goals, or to choose to not pursue them. There is comfort in this sense of control, knowing that we are following a time tested process, albeit a simple one, for accomplishing a task.
But we rarely think about the fact that there’s a missing step in the process.
Look left, look right, determine risk, then proceed, or repeat.
Never in the process is there mention of looking behind you.
Though unlikely, there is a chance that something that you did not put into your evaluation process will yank you back from your pursuit, or, more perilously, force you forward.
If shoved into the street, will you have the time to look left, then right to determine if you are in danger?
Will you then look backward to try to return to your safety?
Will shock take over, paralyzing you from action?
Or will your instincts take over, propelling you forward deftly through potential dangers?
Though a rarity, we will occasionally forced into action. It will be jarring, it will feel uncomfortable, and in the moment, it may even scare us, but our goals are still on the other side of the street. We make be shocked into unexpectedly sprinting and dodging, but when that moment arrives, we can proceed to the other side, then remember to add another step in the process at the next crossing.
Humbly yours,
J