Who are you? I’m really asking. Who are you, really? We all want to believe that we will be cool as cucumbers when crisis hits. We think we’ll keep our heads on straight and gently land the plane, Captain Sully style, on the Hudson river and calmly instruct our passengers to disembark while you are the last person off, ensuring every other person’s safety before yours. When crisis hits, we are all tested and show our true colors. So here it is. This is your Captain Sully moment. What are your true colors? Will you rise to the occasion? Or scramble around, screaming and shoving people out of your way?
There is no doubt that we are in a crisis. A viral pandemic that has killed almost 300,000 people (and rising) is the definition of a crisis. Maybe it is quieter and more prolonged than watching the flames of a burning house, but let me tell you, my friends, it’s reach is much more prolific.
So what are you doing during this crisis? Are you helping the old lady stand up who tripped and fell and is about the get trampled by the stampede of people? Or are you shoving everyone out of your way to get to the exit sooner? That’s the question you ask yourself when you decide whether or not you wear a mask next time you go out. That’s the same question you are asking yourself when you decide to go to a bar or the gym without a mask.
Let’s be honest. Everyone loves Sully. Everyone wants to be Sully. You can be Sully too. So next time a friend asks you to meet him at a bar or you want to pick up the phone to make that nail appointment … ask yourself, are you a Sully? What would Sully do? I have a good feeling Sully would decline those invitations. Be a hero. Socially distance. Be a Sully. Wear the mask.