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If you were with a group of people and someone started choking, what would you do?  Are you certified in the Heimlich maneuver?  Do you know CPR?  Do you think someone else can handle the situation? 

When I was a little kid my father used to play a game with my brothers and me at dinner. It was called “Panic!” Dad would create an emergency-type scenario such as the house was on fire and we were trapped inside, someone broke into the house while we were home, or we severely hurt ourselves (to name a few) and then he’d say “Panic!” The rule was that we really could not panic and each of us had to come up with a unique solution to the situation quickly and with a level head. We had fun coming up with creative and practical resolutions to emergencies never really realizing the impact it would have on us as adults.

As an adult, I am the one who responds calmly and intelligently under pressure. Thanks in part to my experience with the Panic Game, people turn to me when emergencies arise. Only today was a bit different.

Today I joined our walking group for our usual exercise and subsequent breakfast. While at breakfast, one of the members of our group who is over 80 years old began choking on his breakfast. No one did anything but lean over him and keep asking if he was okay. Immediately I realized the situation was grave so I jumped up and announced to the restaurant, “A man is choking, does anyone here know the Heimlich maneuver?” People just stared at me. I repeated, “This is a serious situation, a man is choking and we need help.” A waitress offered to call 911 and I instructed her to do so. In the meantime, the owner of the restaurant came from the back and was able to administer the Heimlich, which was successful on the third attempt. My friend is fine, a little shaken up, but all ended well - thankfully.

This situation made me realize that I want to get certified in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver. Years ago I had a CPR certification and let it expire. Because I never had a situation to use CPR, I didn’t go through the efforts to keep the certification current. But I am wrong! It is vital to keep emergency response certifications up-to-date. As lay people, we can play a critical role in helping to save lives while waiting for professionally trained emergency responders.  Today I could have helped had I been properly trained in what to do.  This was an important wake-up call for me and that’s why I am sharing it with you.

Consequently I urge you to contact your local hospital or police/fire station and inquire about their training programs for CPR and the Heimlich maneuver. Someday you might end up saving someone’s life.

On Monday I participated in my third Cohn Weil Memorial MS Golf Outing benefiting the National MS Society. My father and a family friend accompanied me. There was a breakfast, 18 holes of golf, lunch and then we returned in the evening for a silent auction, dinner and awards. This year I was eager to play well because last year I won my first golf trophy for ‘closest to the pin’ on a particular hole. It was so exciting and I had hoped for a repeat, yet I was unable to make it happen.  So it goes! All in all it was a fabulous, fun day!

Play was slow due to a high volume of participants on the course and it gave me a lot of time to think. Here we all are chasing a little white ball down the fairway and into a little hole. Is that really considered a fun game? So often I witness people chewing themselves out when they miss a shot or have a high score for a hole. What fun is it when they are so intense, determined and judgmental? I wonder if they still consider golf a game or rather a 4-letter word. 

I began to correlate golf to life. Both are not as much games of “achieving perfection” as games of “striving for excellence.” A person has to fight FEAR (false expectations appearing real) of past performance and trust in himself/herself that he/she will do well. If stress can be released, performance will improve. We all know that stress causes us to stiffen or clench up. Remember golf, like life, can be considered just a game with focus on how well we play it versus winning or losing. It requires physical and mental skill and the only true competition to playing well is ourselves!

So I ask, what are you thinking when you address the ball? What are you thinking when faced with any challenge in life? People become who they think they are – if you have limiting beliefs, you will limit yourself. If you dream big, the opportunities are endless! So is golf/life a game to you or a 4-letter word?

I don’t know about you, but my extended family (over 40 people) was all together for the 4^th of July holiday. Typically, activities are planned around what meal we are eating next. At breakfast, everyone discusses where to go for lunch. At lunch, dinner is discussed. In between meals, the hotel room is filled with fruit, candy, chips and assorted snacks – some healthy, some not. So when you are trying to eat healthfully and everyone around you is eating proverbial “junk food,” how do you handle it? Do you give in to temptation and eat the junk or do you hold to what you know is true for you and choose healthy options?

It is normal to choose either option. You must do what is best for you. The irony is that sometimes our relatives do not understand when we pick the healthy option and they feel we are denying ourselves. This couldn’t be farther from the truth but in their eyes, you’re not enjoying if you’re not partaking in the overeating by everyone else. It’s not always easy to hold true to yourself and it can take time and practice. But when you get on the scale the next morning or you know you avoided that overindulgence stomach ache, then how do you feel?

So much of our socialization is around food; that’s human nature.  Next time you plan a get-together, think about activities that do not involve food and see how much fun you all can have!  We ended up on a 3-hour stroll around the Chicago Botanic Garden – it was beautiful as well as fun & healthy! 

With the 4^th of July holiday upon us I ask, “What does FREEDOM mean for you?” For me, one main message stands out: being true to yourself. During life it is normal to feel the weight of other people’s expectations upon us. Some of us collapse under this pressure, others might thrive (but I believe that is rare). What I’ve learned is that we are perfect the way we are; striving for excellence helps us grow; and we need to be self-reliant for our own happiness. Trust in yourself, don’t worry what others may say; live the life you envision. Life can be a sweet ride – be free & enjoy each moment.

Also, please take a moment during this holiday weekend to remember the men and women in the armed forces who are fighting for or who gave their lives for our freedom. We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude.

Enjoy a safe & fun holiday!!