The So What Question

By: Carol Maxym, Ph.D.

Today’s Answer to the “So What?” Question: Gladness and Gratitude

I didn’t see it happen. I only saw what happened afterwards.

The morning was Hawaii paradise picture perfect (and if you’ve ever been here, you know what that means). I was overtly gladdened by the clarity of the blue sky, the low tide, the soft breeze, the warming sun. I start to say I was ‘grateful’ for the day, but that isn’t accurate because there is no one to whom to be grateful. It just is. Glad not grateful. Clarity is vital.

I don’t know if he had noticed the morning, but I suppose he did because he was at the beach, surfing I suppose, but do not know. I don’t know where he came from or his name or anything about him except that he was tall and thin. I shan’t forget him. He does not know I was there—it’s not important.

I didn’t see the accident happen. I saw the rescue. It was beautiful.

Two lifeguards making a chair with their arms and a third holding the man’s head gently—ever so gently—and firmly. Stepping through the shallow water in perfect unison towards the shore, reaching the shore, up onto the beach. The two who had made the chair for him set him down, calmly, gently.

One of them went just behind him and dug a small hole so that he could lie comfortably in the sand. They laid him back, stretched out his legs for him.

Never yet did the third lifeguard cease holding the man’s head.

They moved quickly but it didn’t seem so, for they were calm and competent. They were so quiet I was the only one on the beach who watched. No one else noticed.

Once he was safely laid in the sand, head still held firmly and gently by the third lifeguard, they began to place him on a stretcher. Red. Honolulu Ocean Safety it read.

Carefully they rolled him onto his right side, slipped the stretcher next to him, rolled him softly onto the stretcher. One other person noticed. A woman stopped to look, ask me what happened, moved on before I could answer that I did not know. Scores of kids, parents, lovers, seniors, honeymooners frolicked on the beach, began or finished sand castles, dozed, dreamed in the early morning sunshine.

Still the third lifeguard did not relax his hold on the man’s head.

As they settled him onto the stretcher, one of the lifeguards brushed some sand off the stretcher. It was one of the finest gestures I have ever seen.

Three gorgeous, tanned, fit young men, trained, competent, apparently caring, ever so gentle—if you just saw them on the beach you’d think, “Wow! What a hunk!” Unlikely you would think “He’s kind and gentle.” Ah! preconceptions, prejudices! How they can trip you up.