911: Lessons from the Emergency Room (Part 2): Hourly Rounding on 6N

by Sifu Nick Francis

When does hourly rounding occur: From 7 AM to 9 PM.

Rounding is every 2 hours overnight.

What is addressed during hourly rounding?

 If you have read my former article, then you have a basic understanding of the circumstances that inform these next couple posts.

If you are caught in the dark about this, please take a few moments and go back and read part one:

911: Lessons from the Emergency Room (Part 1): Are You In?

Now that you have done so, I'd like to continue with the lessons that were all around me during the experience.Have you ever noticed that there are life lessons all around us, all the time. It's not whether or not they are there, it's whether nor not we are aware of them. Life lessons surround us all the time, are we willing to listen.

In my former post, I explained how my situation heightened my willingness and readiness to listen.

Continuing then...

After I had spent some time in the emergency room, the basic sense of urgency had subsided. The resident doctor in the emergency room however, determined it best to hold me for the night. Transferring me to the 6th floor, the neurology floor, I settled in for a night of observation.Walking around my room, here is what I found:

The 4 P's:

PAIN: Are you comfortable?

POTTY: Do you need to use the bathroom?

POSITION: Do you need to change

PROXIMITY: Can you reach your personal items?

Let me explain to you why this sign was so impactful to me. Being of good fortune, other than receiving a temporary diagnosis, which at the time I was yet unaware I would, I was going to be walking out off the hospital on my own accord in less than 24 hours.

But not everyone does.

For so many on a daily basis, specifically on 6 North, the daily goals are much different. They are there for as reason!

Simple.

Simple.

Simple.

They are not lofty goals. They are the basic goals. They are minimum goals. In many cases, they are the best that can be achieved under the circumstances.

Where have I heard this perspective before?

How about in Wing Chun's Simple Idea.

One Idea.

One Little Idea.

One, Simple, Little Idea.

Siu Lim Tau

If you train Wing Chun then you know that we are not training only for self-defense. To do so would be to drastically undermine our purpose and minimize the benefits.

These little ideas aren't just for training self-defense, they are for training how to live.

Siu Lim Tau is about awareness.

Siu Lim Tau is about a choice.

 One choice at a time.

Informed by peace, patience, awareness and wisdom, we train to make the best choices we can with the information we have at the time.

On 6N the little idea is the 4P's. If you are reading this, it's likely that these 4P's are not your priority today. You are able to do more. Let us not be so foolish however, to think this will always be the case, let us just acknowledge that today our 4P's are not the same.

Some days our 4P's may be this simple.

Some days we need to accept that this is the best we can do.

Some days we can do more.

What are your 4P's for today?

Whatever they are, they are best kept simple.

Thanks for reading.

"The Lancaster Wing Chun Association exists

to create a place where

people can learn traditional Ip Man Wing Chun

in a safe supportive environment."