Not knowing what to do

By The NewsDay | Oct. 5, 2012 | 4 Min read

Here is what to do when you don’t know what to do.

Report by Thembe Sachikonye

confused — Charm and good looks don’t solve problems, but they sure do help everyone feel better!

Keep Reading

Like blessings, emergencies come in all shapes and size and often when you least expect them.

For some, a broken stiletto heel or a chipped nail can constitute an emergency of monumental proportions. For others, it is finding oneself tongue tied in front of an expectant audience, or realising one has failed to give an in-law appropriate respect. No one wants to admit to not knowing what to do in any situation and our choices are often either to do nothing, or to do the first thing that comes into one’s head, which isn’t necessarily the best thing!

This week I found myself facing a more serious level of crisis; a medical emergency, and thinking I knew what to do. Call an ambulance, right? Well, believe it or not, the first number I tried produced a recording that said the number dialed did not exist.

The second number, for the same service provider, was a mobile, just rang and rang. I then called my medical aid explaining that I had an emergency and couldn’t get an ambulance. They kept me holding for a while then came back to say I should keep trying the number and they would also try the same number on their end.

I am not sure if the woman I was speaking to realised how utterly unhelpful that was, but I guess it’s a good thing that I didn’t have time to break it down to her.

In the meantime, I made a mental note to re-evaluate my choice to stay in Zimbabwe.

Fortunately my colleagues and I were all working toward the same goal from different stations and someone eventually managed to get an ambulance to come.

Later in the day, when I remarked to one of my colleagues how the door of the ambulance had to be jammed open using a broom handle, she said: “At least it came.”

This is life in Zimbabwe in 2012. We have learnt to be grateful for even the most basic and substandard services. Never mind that the door of the ambulance could actually add a more serious injury to the patient than the one he already had! We were just grateful to have an ambulance. I wonder what happened to the head of that broom? Or was it a mop?

So, when you don’t know what to do or what you know to do isn’t working, I guess the thing to do is ask for help.

There is a reason why God placed us in communities and created us — so that we could function as a collective. People need people. But the help you get needs to be real help. In a genuine emergency, you don’t need spectators, (if they want to gather news, they had better be registered!). You need people who will take action, make decisions and face consequences squarely.

On the other hand, if you are faced with a lighter kind of crisis, such as laddered pantyhose or a bad hair day, I can give you some quick and crazy tips from my own experience:

If it’s laddered pantyhose, ignore it. Don’t talk about it and whatever you do, don’t paint it with nail polish.

If anyone points it out you can go: “Oh my goodness, I hadn’t noticed!” To avoid this situation recurring, always purchase pantyhose two pairs at a time, so you have a spare pair in the same shade.

If you ever find yourself stuck with an unhappy child and you are not sure how to prevent a complete meltdown, try singing. Yes, singing.

Sing anything, preferably with lots of facial expression and some actions. Children love it. If this doesn’t work, feed it, give it water or put it to bed!

Chipped nail polish? Just take it all off. It’s better to have no polish than chipped polish. Bad hair days can be sorted out with a wig, a hat, a turban or a scarf, depending on the occasion.

If there is a microphone in front of you, and you don’t know what to say, just say so; as in: “The reason I am standing here smiling at you quietly, is because I have no idea what to say,” Your audience will think you are charming and unassuming and they will love you for it.

If you are in a professional situation and you have no idea what’s going on, try keeping quiet. It’s a skill we underutilise in our attempts to impress others.

And that of course brings us to the number one skill for saving face: Smile! And if possible, look good while you are doing so.

Charm and good looks don’t solve problems, but they sure do help everyone feel better!