I was told by someone who I admire and respect recently that it's "mind over matter". That person was saying this in regards to a skill I was working at. The said skill is an important skill and one that must be learned, a hurdle I am getting over. During this drill I went through and did this skill four times, 3 times I got stuck in an opening of the fake wall with complete turn out gear and air pack. While doing this drill my face mask had wax paper over it so to simulate being in a smoke filled interior, also the lights were out. We had to crawl on our hands and knees breathing air get through the hole in the wall and then follow the hose line till we got to a A-frame type thing to climb over, then continue to either the victim or to the tunnel made out of metal barrels. First time I was part of a 3 man RIT (Rapid intervention Team) we had to go relieve the team that was trying to rescue the victim. Got through the hole fine going out got to the victim and we got 'him' back. Got myself hung up in the wall a bit but worked it out and got to the other side. I didn't freak when taking off my air mask like I did at the first drill. I felt like I was gaining ground. We had a break and then we were up again. This time we were going to rescue the victim. I put my mask on, can't see a thing but by then I was becoming accustom to the feeling. I was working by just closing my eyes. You have to rely on touch and sound and I was getting over that hurdle of not seeing and breathing air and not freaking out. I felt like I was gaining ground. Even if I wasn't doing a lot I was trying. I did manage to pull the victim a bit but then my air was running out and I had the 'vibe alert'. So now we need the RIT team to come help us. So still I was not panicking. I knew in reality the air was fine, I still had air to breath from my tank and I knew I could get back to the opening. Got over the A- frame and then we got to the wall and I was up against the wall, the victim and my team members and trying to find the blasted opening. There was a lot of vocal instruction and the RIT team may have been there with us I don't know I couldn't tell or see. Someone pushed me to the opening and I went too high. I got hung up but this time while trying ... I wedge myself more. Then I panicked ! Someone said crawl through or something to that affect but I couldn't. That's when after someone tried to pull me I said "Get me out of here, I don't like this feeling" or something to that affect. Someone tried to pull me but that made it worse so then someone pushed me down more which did the trick. I still didn't rip off my mask when I got to the other side which for me I think was a victory.
At that point it was about 8pm and I needed my tank changed out. I wanted to go back again but they had teams picked. So I stood with my new air tank and drank water. Then one of my classmates came and turned off my tank but I kept it on till I knew for certain I wasn't needed.
I was told last night it's all in your head and you have to get over it. That it's mind over matter... Yes ,it's mind over matter and it's mind over matter each time I put that pack on or the mask. It's mind over matter each time I crawl or crawled on my belly to get through a small opening that some have to take their packs off to crawl through. It's mind over matter when you have your mask covered with wax paper but you keep telling yourself "it's ok, it's fine" and you manage to do the task given, even if you didn't think to crawl through the tunnel feet first (I didn't have to go through the tunnel this time)
Only one person said "good job" . My other classmates were told good job... I was only told basically "She knows what we talked about..." so despite the fact that I managed to do what I was told to do and did unstick myself 2 times out of 4 and not freak. The one time I did get royally stuck and needed help I was not told "Good Job" only "Mind over matter".
Lets discuss mind over matter for those who have never gone through some real life situations that REALLY at that time needed 'mind over matter'
Mind over matter:
May of 1997 on the road from Phnom Penh going home about 45 min . out from Kampot. To this day I will remember the spot. As we came round the corner a group of 3 men, Khmer Rouge soldiers came and stood in the road. I dressed with a head and face covering like a Cham Muslim to keep me safe so they wouldn't know(if this ever happened) I was a blue eyed American Woman. My driver said "head down, don't let them see your face or we are all done for." I had a 5 month old baby on my lap. He was asleep till he felt me tense. The men were screaming at us to open our windows, open our doors. My driver saying over and over "Don't, keep your head down!" My son starting to cry. He had blonde , blonde hair so he would have been a dead give away, never mind me... It was mind over matter to keep my head down and not panic like a rabbit cornered in the bushes. Even though on the other side of my window a man stood with a AK-47 pointed at my head, screaming at me to open the door. It was this same road that in 1995 backpackers were kidnapped and later killed by some of these same soldiers.
It was mind over matter during the Coupe that same year trying to stay calm for 5 days while we ran out of food and supplies and at night laying on the floor listening to gun fire.
It was mind over matter a month after loosing a baby, my neighbor's son, my own son's best friend drowned and me being the only person in the area trained in any kind of CPR or EMT skills brought him back.
I have had enough real situations that have shown me "Mind over matter". More then I care to relate. Grenade attacks... teach my children "Hit the deck drills" because it may save you some day. My daughter and I were laughing about it just the other day but it was no laughing matter living in Cambodia. It was mind over matter when my son's friend said to him when he walked out with a pirate shirt on. "We know where some are just behind your house..." We had a killing field behind our house. We walked out to the salt field and then it dawned on me with numerous children around me, "has this field been de-mind?" says I. No one knows. So mind over matter, calmly retracing our steps, get to safety , find out if the field had been de-minded, then call the monks. We indeed had a killing field behind our house. Our cook said she could remember people being marched past her house, probably to their deaths.
So yes, I still have a lot to learn. I will never be up to par with the young guys BUT I was told by someone "that everyone brings something to this..." "Even me?"
"Yes, you do."
I still don't know. I still feel pretty rotten. I think positive reinforcement works better with me .
So life for me every day is 'mind over matter'.