Ring! Ring! There goes my Apple Watch. The iPhone is in another room and my hands are dirty-dishes-gross. “That’s weird and annoying”, I think reflexively to myself. My wife is calling but she just left.
With the final ring sounding, I quickly do the right thing regardless of my thoughts. I rinse off a pinky finger and answer the call on my Apple Watch with it. I hear her Apple Watch’ed voice say loudly “Get a trashcan full of water and …. <something about a bin>.” What’d she say? After quickly rinsing off my hands, I grab a trashcan, yank the trash out, and mutter about needing caffeine while filling it up with water.
Next, I’m outside. Hmm! Lots of smoke is coming from the trash bin area. Uh oh… A quick emotion check reveals slight concern and the thought that I better get out there soon and see what’s up. I’m slightly surprised about how matter-of-fact my mind feels.
Keeping a clear mind is a credit to the meditation training I’ve done over my life and most recently received from my two favorite meditation apps. At some point, I run toward the smoke and check out the situation. Oh! This fire could spread quickly!
My wife had emptied the wastebasket full of water and tells me to get the fire extinguisher. “Good thinking”, I reflect while running back. I dug it out from the back of the closet, run it out to her, and she puts the fire out while I am running back for more water. Success!
Just then, the maintenance person shows up that my wife had called. Good. He can do any needed follow up with whomever.
Let’s recap. The trash bin area is completely surrounded by a dry timber fence. If I hadn’t been wearing my Apple Watch, had my meditation training, and/or my hero wife hadn’t seen the fire, it might have gone completely up in flames. As my wise wife said, who knows if a floating fire ember would have started another fire on a nearby home?
As far as who the hero is that kept people and property safe, the credit goes to my wife.
This is also a moment of gratefulness. I am grateful for my wife’s levelheadedness. I’m also thankful to Apple for their innovation and specifically my Apple Watch. Finally, I feel lucky to have experienced first hand the fruit of all of my meditation training which kept the whole event in perspective and kept me from overreacting.
May you also be as blessed as me in such times!