The messenger. Please, don’t shoot me.
I am the unknowing bearer of bad news. I answer the phone.
I ask people to wait patiently while I try to track down whoever it is they need to get a hold of. I never know what I’m dealing with – that’s not really my concern. I don’t know the stories, the news, the questions or the answers from the people on the other end of the phone.
“She’s just with a patient right now, can I put you on hold for a minute?” They almost never say no.
“Thank you, it shouldn’t be too long. Please hold.”
And just like that, they wait. Are they rehearsing the news they called with? Are they thinking about their day, their grocery list, their laundry, their favourite TV show? Maybe they’re thinking about what they have to do tomorrow. Maybe they’re just thinking about how they’re going to make it through the next few minutes, few hours, or few days. Maybe. Maybe they’re too tired, scared or angry to think.
Sometimes I have to go back and let people know it will be a few more minutes than I thought. They wait, patiently. Maybe silently rehearsing, maybe silently thinking. Or maybe patient on the outside, and anxious on the inside.
I see how the news affects people. And I stop to think about what news I just passed along. And really, when I see someone that upset, I want to cry not only for them, but also with them.
I am the unknowing bearer of bad news. I answer the phone.
I ask people to wait patiently while I try to track down whoever it is they need to get a hold of. I never know what I’m dealing with – that’s not really my concern. I don’t know the stories, the news, the questions or the answers from the people on the other end of the phone.
“She’s just with a patient right now, can I put you on hold for a minute?” They almost never say no.
“Thank you, it shouldn’t be too long. Please hold.”
And just like that, they wait. Are they rehearsing the news they called with? Are they thinking about their day, their grocery list, their laundry, their favourite TV show? Maybe they’re thinking about what they have to do tomorrow. Maybe they’re just thinking about how they’re going to make it through the next few minutes, few hours, or few days. Maybe. Maybe they’re too tired, scared or angry to think.
Sometimes I have to go back and let people know it will be a few more minutes than I thought. They wait, patiently. Maybe silently rehearsing, maybe silently thinking. Or maybe patient on the outside, and anxious on the inside.
I see how the news affects people. And I stop to think about what news I just passed along. And really, when I see someone that upset, I want to cry not only for them, but also with them.
2 Comments:
That must be tough delivering bad news sometimes. You definitely have the compassion of a superhero :D
Your good Trac, not everyone could do the job you do as well as you do it, under the circumstances that you find yourself in.
~Megs
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