SOCIAL

  lessons learned

Justified Shmustified!

Sometimes, the best of intentions leave you (or the next guy) in a hole.

JACK RUNNINGER, O.D.

“Achurch choir was proceeding slowly and majestically down the aisle,” reported a story in Reader’s Digest a number of years ago. “As they marched over a cold air register, a soprano’s high heel caught in the grate. She gracefully slipped her foot out of the shoe and continued the procession.

“The baritone behind her bent slightly and picked up the shoe while marching by. None of the people in the pews even noticed it.

“Until the grate came up with the shoe and the man next in line fell in.”

Sometimes things go wrong despite the best of intentions. But often goofs could be prevented by paying attention to an often violated “rule to live by.”

The missing PDs

“Is there anything you can do to keep the nurse in charge of the safety eyewear program at Blank Industries from cussing me out,” one of my aides asked me one day. “She called again today and was mad because I hadn’t filled in the PD blank on a patient’s Rx form. I’ve explained each time that since we prescribe the proper placement for near and distance optical centers, the PD isn’t necessary.

“But she keeps calling back and acts like I’m an idiot for not including PDs. So today I told her to go to the devil.”

Too much information?

“You were justified in getting angry with her,” I told her pontifically. “But let me tell you some words of advice I once heard: Do not what is justified, but instead what is in your intelligent self interest.” A good example: If the heavyweight boxing champion insults my wife, I am perfectly justified in poking him in the nose. But it is hardly in my intelligent self-interest!

ILLUSTRATION BY AMY WUMMER

“Although you were justified in what you did, it was not in our intelligent self-interest. If this safety nurse assumes we do not fill out safety Rx forms correctly, she might tell Blank’s employees and officials we aren’t competent.

“It would be more in our intelligent self-interest to fill in the PD’s blank even if it isn’t necessary.”

She was impressed?

I thought I detected a gleam of admiration for my wisdom in her eye. However, it might instead have been a gleam of “Geez, all I did was ask a simple question, I didn’t expect to have to listen to a lecture. If I ask someone what time it is, I don’t want a lecture on how watches are made!”

If I would only remember these “Words To Live By” around the house, I could spend a whole lot less time in the dog house. For example:

When I forgot

Some six years ago, I married a lovely lady who was also widowed, and whom I had known for many years. One night a group of people asked us how we had met. Ever the smart aleck, instead of telling the true story, I jazzed it up and said we had first met at a party and that she had said to me:

“You look exactly like my second husband,”

“Indeed?” I replied. “How many husbands have you had?”

“Just one,” she replied

I glanced at my new bride to see if she appreciated my humor. The look on her face told me what I had said had definitely not been in my intelligent self interest. OM

JACK RUNNINGER, OUR CONSULTING EDITOR, LIVES IN ROME, GA. HE’S ALSO A PAST EDITOR OF OM. CONTACT HIM AT RUNNINGERJ@COMCAST.NET.