[The placement of ear tubes] is one of the most enjoyable and gratifying procedures I do because of the tremendous positive effect it has on the child and his parents. I have had a major impact doing what most ENT surgeons would consider to be our simplest operating room procedure. The point … is that sometimes our smallest or simplest actions can have a profound effect on those around us.
Not convinced? Take this example. I took my son skiing for the first time. During a run down the bunny slope, I saw two ski instructors kneeling next to a young woman who was lying on the ground. When I saw the white crosses on their red jackets I realized they were the ski patrol/first aid team and the woman was lying on her side, in pain. When I got back to the top of the slope, I told my son to keep skiing while I checked on the woman. I identified myself as a physician to the two first aid personnel, and asked if I could be of assistance. I also explained I was an ENT surgeon and not a very good skier. (The woman said, “You’re obviously a better skier than me!”) They said I could be of assistance. They were about to splint her arm, and asked me stay upslope to make sure no one skied into them. They lifted the woman onto a sled, handed me her skis and poles, and asked me to bring them down to the first aid station. I did that too. At the first aid station, I helped them transfer her to the stretcher. An ambulance took her to the hospital.
I got involved because, as a physician, I felt a responsibility to assist if I could. Nothing I did required being a surgeon. Except for knowing how to lift her from the sled to a stretcher without hurting her (and my back), the three things I did could have been done by anyone. I directed traffic, carried equipment, and helped carry someone from one stretcher to another. I had a positive impact. The young woman was grateful, her family was grateful, and the first aid personnel were grateful. I was probably one of the worst skiers on the slope that day, yet I was able to have a positive impact.
We are all capable of doing small, simple things that can have a significant impact. Consider the impact you have on others on a daily basis.
Do you coach a team of kids? You’re teaching them the fundamentals of the sport, as well as teamwork and sportsmanship. You’re teaching them the value of practice and the sense of pride and accomplishment from working hard and doing their best. You’re teaching them how to learn from success and failure. Do you volunteer at your child’s school? You’re having a positive impact on your child, and the other children, the teachers, and the staff. People depend on you. Do you recycle? You are having a positive impact on the environment.
Much of what we do can have an affect on the world around us. The phrase, “Think global, act local” is attributed to Patrick Geddes in Cities in Evolution (1915, London: Williams). Its point is that even small, local changes or actions can contribute to global change.