Grace Under Fire

“He met the unexpected with grace.”

That’s an epitaph I’d be OK with. I’d like to say I’ve earned it, but know I’ve fallen short of the needed style points at many junctures along my path.

I admire and take notes when others demonstrate grace under fire. Whereas the chaotic energy of difficult times tends to stir anxiety and confusion in the majority of folks, it’s as though certain people engage the exact same set of circumstances with insight and calm.

In football, some quarterbacks demonstrate coolness under fire. They know where the blitz is coming from.  They sense when their pocket is collapsing; recognize when to start their scramble, all the while keeping their eyes down field as the play develops and then launch a successful pass just at the last moment before the human wall of pursuers reaches him.

Is that not the challenge in all stressful situations, keeping an eye on the entire field, recognizing where the chance to change the circumstances will emerge from while eluding the most pressing threats?

And to keep a smile on one’s face… priceless.