By Patrick McNerthney
One of the best lines in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (which is a must-see if you’ve been living under a rock and hence, have not seen it ever, or if you are above ground like the rest of us, it’s at least a must-see-again-soon if it’s been awhile). Anyway the quote is when Indiana says, “I don’t know. I’m making this up as I go.”
He and his sidekicks had just escaped a perilous situation involving snakes and being trapped in an ancient Egyptian burial chamber,surrounded by a gun wielding mob. Indiana’s response was spurred by his colleague’s earlier query (paraphrasing here):
“Well wait…be more specific…how exactly are you going to chase down those bad guys and save the day?”
So you can see why I ABSOLUTELY LOVE INDIANA’S RESPONSE. It’s confident, cavalier, and subtly points to The Irony in All Things, which is: life rarely goes the way we expect it to go, which means nobody really has any of the answers in advance.
Or as heavyweight boxer, Mike Tyson, famously said:
“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,” (in reference to his upcoming fight with Evander Holyfield).
(Yeah, that plan looks good for now. Just you wait…)
Or as the men and women of the military say: “No plan survives contact with the enemy,” (in reference to the chaos that’s inherent in their daily battles).
Or as my wife says: “Stop saying, ‘I don’t know, I’m making this up as I go.’ It’s obnoxious, and you’re driving me nuts. Now answer the question…can you go pick up the dry cleaning?”
Alas…poor woman. I don’t know how she puts up with me.
Starting in preschool we’re pretty much indoctrinated with the idea that someone has all the answers – typically an authority figure we’re supposed to revere. Then later in life when we’re working, there’s a lot of pressure to BE the one who’s sure, who has the answers, so everyone is reassured.
(Authority is a myth. Unless you’re in basic training.)
The problem is things are always changing no matter what job we have or what industry we adhere to. So there’s never really a final “answer.” Instead, there’s a brilliant tool we must constantly employ: our ability to figure out what is worth trying by asking the right questions.
This is a way different mindset from the high and mighty pose of pretending to have the answers in advance. It means being curious, vulnerable, and potentially WRONG. Which is exactly why some bosses, leaders, and most other authority figures hate it: their power is based on the longstanding myth they are NEVER WRONG. What a mess…luckily Indiana Jones, Mike Tyson,and the military know better.
Well, guess what? So does Fine Art Miracles (FAM).
A few years back, FAM believed that the cognitive and emotional benefits of creative expression could remedy your residents’ and loved ones’ anxiety and depression. Did FAM know this for sure? For each and every person who would participate?
No.But FAM was right.
It turns out the act of making – of letting creativity take flight – connects the elderly and children and adults with challenges, with their sense of self-worth, relevance to the world, confidence, joy, and a sense of mastery. The perfect recipe to combat the anxiety and depression that arise from living in social isolation.
Again, did FAM KNOW THEY HAD THE ANSWER? No way…but they asked the right questions:
- How can we make the lives of caregivers of underserved populations BETTER?
- What tools do they need, that they don’t have?
- What hasn’t anyone tried yet?
Then they started reaching out, which they still do to this very day…
If you haven’t tried Dance & Movement Therapy, Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Multi-Sensory Sessions, and ART2GO packages (to name a few), FAM is ready to get you started.
When you deliver the power of creativity to your residents and loved ones as a caregiver, you feel like you may just have the answer. (And you do.) But things will continue to change, so please don’t stop asking questions.
Besides, you don’t want to seem like some smarty-pants-know-it-all. Even if (in this specific instance) you are.
Well, I’ve conned my family into watching Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark again tonight. Can’t wait…surely there are some more lines in there I missed on the first 12 screenings… Okay, I’ve got my cheese puffs–now where’d the boss hide that remote…
