Take Stock of What You Have
Old Joke: How can you identify an “Army toolbox”? Simple! When you open it, all you’ll find are 11 sizes of hammers!
You say you’ve got a job to do, and don’t know how you’ll accomplish it? You’re afraid you’ve bitten off more than you can chew, or you’re taking on something you’ve never done before, and you’re afraid you don’t have the tools for the job?
Well, before you hit the panic button, you might want to consider the following story…
Back during the Vietnam War, there was this fellow doing observation duty in a helicopter over the jungle when the pilot got a call to check out possible enemy activity at a certain point on a nearby river.
The only problem was, their observation chopper wasn’t even armed! And, getting close enough to fire their rifles meant, of course, the reverse would also be true. Definitely a sure way to shorten their military careers!
I mean, even if there was something going on, there was literally nothing they could do about it except report it. And naturally, by the time anyone else arrived, the enemy would probably be gone. But, they checked it out anyway, staying high enough to avoid danger.
Sure enough, there was definitely a boat down there, and by all indications it looked like they were preparing to unload supplies, probably armaments of some kind. They reported it immediately, of course, but continued to circle around for awhile in frustration, wishing there was something they could do.
Eventually, the fellow in the back noticed a big clunky toolbox strapped down on the deck, and suddenly had a moment of inspiration. He asked the pilot to hover over the boat for a few minutes, and then with much grunting and shoving, pushed the heavy toolbox out the door.
It was a bull’s-eye! Not only was it a perfect hit, but it penetrated both the deck and the hull, plunging to the bottom of the river. Then, to everyone’s amazement, within a few minutes the enemy boat sank!
Mission accomplished!
So the next time you find yourself facing some new territory, my advice would be to take stock of what you have. I mean, you never know; you might be surprised what you can accomplish with just the, ahem, tools at hand!
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Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
What a fun story to start a new week Bob. Now all I need is an army tool box when I spot that next distant ship I need to sink – or perhaps a parachute in case it was a friendly ship after all. Hmmmm. Ok, Bob – you always get me laughing and thinking at the same time! have a great week friend!
Howdy, Ellen! Yes, this story captured my attention from the moment I heard it – what a great lesson we can apply to life in general, don’t you think?
As a post script, the fellow also told me that later, when our soldiers had recaptured the area, they dredged the river and found the boat – loaded to the gills with armaments! I suspect lots of lives were saved that day! (Even the people in the boat survived and swam away.)