Action 300 - Don't Take No For An Answer.

There's a fine line I walk when it comes to other people. On one hand, I respect that they are adults and can make their own decisions. On the other hand, I know that we all have blind spots and sometimes can't (or won't) see what needs to be said or done. The former makes me stay out of other people's business, but the latter makes me want to help them in times of need.

How do I know which way to go? I don't always. Sometimes, I just have to go on faith that I am making the right decision. And tonight was one of those times. A family member living several states away from me was in a great deal of pain but stubbornly refusing to go to the emergency room. I won't share any of this person's private details, but I will say that our discussion ended with me saying, "either you go to the ER right now or I will call and have an ambulance dispatched to your door."

Action 300 - Don't Take No For An Answer. And I didn't. I weighed the risks of saying nothing with the risk of an unnecessary medical visit, and I decided the answer was obvious. This person needed to go to the ER.

And they are there now. The staff is running some tests, and we won't know for a while what is going on. But it seems at this point that the visit was the right thing to do.

It's tough to know when to stand down and when to push hard. I run the risk of butting in to something that isn't my business. But like tonight, the need for action had to be more important than me risking offending or angering someone.

I didn't take no for an answer. And though it looks like it was the right thing to do, I would still stand by decision if the doctor said a hospital visit wasn't needed. I would rather be wrong and cautious about someone I love than be right but silent.