Monday, February 16, 2009

Tests and Acts of Kindness

I should be teaching right now. That’s what I do for income – I teach. But after 18 minutes of class today, some kind of official emergency was announced and we were asked, through a speaker on the flashing fire alarm, to walk to the nearest exit. Always happy to comply when asked to stop working, I dismissed class for the rest of the period and accompanied my students outside, locking the door behind me.

Equally baffled, everyone from the three-story building stood outside. Some had coats, others in shirtsleeves, some with backpacks, others with no extra items. All were waiting for permission to access the building once again. Waiting and wondering.

Was it a bomb scare? Who called it in? Who would do such a thing? I watched my students, who were drifting away, singly or in groups. Sometimes a disgruntled student will do unexpected things.

Was it a fire? A cigarette could have been carelessly thrown in a restroom waste basket, with no harm intended but much harm resulting.

Was it a test? Before we can be sure they work, emergency systems have to be tested. Perhaps the fire marshall would show up soon, checking offices and classrooms for those so intent on their work that they did not respond to the alarms.

No emergency crews showed up. No explanation reached the crowd. I decided as I walked away that, regardless of the cause, it was a test. If one of my students called in a bomb scare, then I could have missed some sign and failed that person in some way. If it was a fire, some safety precautions were overlooked somehow. If the emergency system was being tested, it was partly because of those who tend not to listen to the alarms. Their safety is important too.

We have systems so that people are less likely to be overlooked, so that careless acts can be remedied, and so that our neighbors don’t get left behind. We have tests so that we can rise to the occasion and see what works well, and what needs to be improved. Tests are interruptions in our normal processes and can be viewed as irritations or opportunities, or even ignored as irrelevant. Being responsive to another’s needs might prevent a bomb scare. Being aware of safety and surroundings can prevent small accidents. Taking a moment to check on your neighbor can help make sure that no one gets left behind. Small acts of kindness begin to seem like random tests of daily living – with potentially great effects.

(I still don’t know why the emergency sirens went off, though.)

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