"Using life experiences to inspire, encourage and educate others is why I write. I believe sharing our stories helps us to realize we're not alone; that others have struggled, hurt, failed and got back up and found their way. I hope my stories make you think, laugh and feel grateful. - Deana LandersFeatured Short Story
Taking Care of Yourself
The flight attendant stood at the front of the plane mechanically, giving safety instructions for the flight. It was apparent that she could probably give those same instructions in her sleep because she had done it many times.
I had heard them many times before, but something she said caught my attention this time. “In the event of an emergency, the oxygen mask will drop from overhead. Put the mask over your nose and mouth. If you are traveling with a small child or an infant, put your mask on first, then help the child.”
It would be easy to think that the responsible thing to do would be to help the child with their mask first and then grab the dangling mouthpiece for yourself, but what she said made sense.
A lack of oxygen due to a depressurized airplane cabin would cause hypoxia, a lack of oxygen to the brain. It would only take approximately three minutes without oxygen for a person to lose consciousness or even suffer a heart attack. So how much help would they be then?
When I arrived at the conference I was attending, a speaker on time management emphasized the responsibility of taking care of yourself first–before tr...
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