Handle It...
Out on exercise as a young marine, I managed to do myself a mischief… One of those overuse injuries you get when you’ve had to navigate s***ty terrain, conduct a section attack, then navigate s***ty terrain back to the harbour area.
My OC saw me limping…
“You’re limping...” he said… “Handle it.”
Those few words struck a chord...
Fast forward a year or two and I was out on counter-piracy operations when I managed to do myself a mischief… One of those compression injuries you get when your raiding craft is bouncing and crashing over waves and you’re wearing too much kit…
Back on ship, I handled it.
Fast forward a year or two and I was warming up with some vaults at my gymnastics club and I managed to do myself a mischief… One of those landings where you roll your ankle and it swells up to the size of a cantaloupe.
I handled it.
Now, this is not about manning up and soldiering on, believe it or not… Firstly it’s about accepting that as an active in-shape person you will at some point pick up an injury [just ask any adult who regularly plays a sport...], and secondly it’s about handling it when it does happen.
When my OC said handle it, what he was really saying was:
1. No one cares.
2. You have an issue - fix it immediately.
Now, you guys aren’t marines, you are indulging in leisure activities. Strapping s*** up and soldiering on isn’t a good idea and it won’t get you brownie points… Likely, all you’ll get for your effort is more pain and a longer spell out of action…
Here’s what you do instead:
1. We do care [to an extent…] so keep us in the loop so we can provide you with options…
2. You have an issue, so get it sorted by a doctor / physiotherapist / shaman / whoever…
Notice how not one of those points was “keep talking about it and looking forlorn…” Or “ask someone who isn’t a doctor to give you a diagnosis…”
Don’t be a victim... Handle it.
“Sit the f*** down and have a beer”
~ Coach Collins
Copyright 2017
Out on exercise as a young marine, I managed to do myself a mischief… One of those overuse injuries you get when you’ve had to navigate s***ty terrain, conduct a section attack, then navigate s***ty terrain back to the harbour area.
My OC saw me limping…
“You’re limping...” he said… “Handle it.”
Those few words struck a chord...
Fast forward a year or two and I was out on counter-piracy operations when I managed to do myself a mischief… One of those compression injuries you get when your raiding craft is bouncing and crashing over waves and you’re wearing too much kit…
Back on ship, I handled it.
Fast forward a year or two and I was warming up with some vaults at my gymnastics club and I managed to do myself a mischief… One of those landings where you roll your ankle and it swells up to the size of a cantaloupe.
I handled it.
Now, this is not about manning up and soldiering on, believe it or not… Firstly it’s about accepting that as an active in-shape person you will at some point pick up an injury [just ask any adult who regularly plays a sport...], and secondly it’s about handling it when it does happen.
When my OC said handle it, what he was really saying was:
1. No one cares.
2. You have an issue - fix it immediately.
Now, you guys aren’t marines, you are indulging in leisure activities. Strapping s*** up and soldiering on isn’t a good idea and it won’t get you brownie points… Likely, all you’ll get for your effort is more pain and a longer spell out of action…
Here’s what you do instead:
1. We do care [to an extent…] so keep us in the loop so we can provide you with options…
2. You have an issue, so get it sorted by a doctor / physiotherapist / shaman / whoever…
Notice how not one of those points was “keep talking about it and looking forlorn…” Or “ask someone who isn’t a doctor to give you a diagnosis…”
Don’t be a victim... Handle it.
“Sit the f*** down and have a beer”
~ Coach Collins
Copyright 2017
