A lesson in Critical Thinking--and the OODA Loop

 

I've mentioned Critical Thinking as a process to solve problems, to resolve issues; to handle disputes, and to effectively manage both personnel and businesses. Let me share a video about the Ooda Loop, which was the basis of a fighter pilot who claimed (and correctly so) that he could evade an enemy pilot trying to target him WITHIN 60 SECONDS. That meant this individual used Critical Thinking to not only save his life, but to GET THE JOB DONE. And sometimes, it takes Critical Thinking and ANALYSIS to do so.

In the movie Margin Call, which I share with my MBA students, at the boardroom meeting, the CEO says to his Chief Financial Officer, "It's 4:00 [a.m.}. You have until 5:00 {a.m.} to break this down and get me out a plan {of action to liquidate assets that are toxic in volatility to the company}." And the CFO nods because there is no other course of action other than to do what he's told! 

THEN the CEO asks who else knows about the nature of the company's problems. He's informed by the Chief Risk Officer AND the CFO that this individual is no longer employed--and the CFO adds that they have been trying to locate him. The CFO turns to another person--whom we don't know in official capacity--and tells him by name, "Get me {this individual"} here by 6:30 a.m., AND THE MAN AGREES TO THE REQUEST. HE DOESN'T COMPLAIN, ARGUE, OR CHALLENGE THE REQUEST. HE WILL GET IT DONE.

My point in this: are you capable of getting the job done even if it is an obvious challenge? I mean this in life as well as management or any other profession you choose. I'm also saying with just about 70 years of experience: Life will and does throw challenges at all of us. What are you willing to do in order to solve problems that may only be temporary distractions? ESPECIALLY if you want to run your own company/business or you want to work for someone else--WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO IF IT REQUIRES CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AND ACTION?

I'll share with you a real-life event that happened to me when I was teaching public speaking at Jiangxi University in China @spring 2017: my students were not listening to me that day and totally distracted from my lesson. And that was enough to agitate me to ask what and why--because it was against my standards of behavior. And they said, "We are sorry, but our next class is up in 20 minutes, and we don't understand the assignment. Our professor is VERY strict {yes, they, as students, could be and were physically and verbally abused for failure}."

So I made an immediate decision: "Put aside everything for me, and let me see this assignment." It was about finance--and it was several pages of a handout. I read it quickly: "Assess and describe the implications of 'A Double Dutch Twist with an Irish Treat' regarding Apple, Inc., and taxation procedures." 

Huh? Well, first, I don't teach finance, nor is it an area of my interest nor expertise. BUT I CAN READ AND COMPREHEND TEXT AND DOCUMENTS. (I once had to proofread a friend's Ph.D. analysis of animal husbandry/management for the effective production of pigs. I also have no background in that--but I could understand from what she wrote.) So what I did was to break down the finance assignment BECAUSE I COULD READ AND UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGE BEHIND THE PACKAGE GIVEN TO THE STUDENTS because I could critically think about what I was reading.

In short: Apple, Inc., was rerouting pre-tax capital gains through two banks in the Carribean islands owned by the Netherlands (Dutch) country. After they were "processed," the monies were then sent to a bank in Ireland--and THEN re-routed back to Apple, Inc., at a lower tax rate. "A Double Dutch Twist with an Irish Treat." And my students were so thankful that I had not only solved their confusion at the title but also the value of the lesson ahead--and possibly spared them from some physical pain and worse. 

And I also told them: "DON'T tell the professor in the next class that I helped you. Tell him that YOU all figured it out yourselves. Let HIM think that you're smarter, better, and prepared." Oh, you'd better believe that they were grateful. And I was thankful for the chance to help--and also that I had learned again how valuable critical thinking skills could be. My point is simple: I had 20 minutes to solve the needs for my students.

Chemistry, a life of crime, and the Periodic Table of Elements

This is a two-part tale, and you'll need the Periodic Table of Elements to solve it. But stay with it for the adventure and the answers! Now, get ready to hand over the loot!

The (Au)-Dust Kid mounted his trusty, rust-colored horse, Old (I).  His shooting (Fe) was strapped to his belt, alongside a shiny (Ag) buckle from Mexico.  The bright, new invention, (Ne) lights, lit up the night sky like a (Mg) flare.  There was danger in the wind:  The Kid was aiming to rob the midnight stagecoach with the payroll money!  The nearby (U) mine was getting ready to make a deposit at the local bank, and The Kid was looking for one last big stick-up.  He decided to use a bag of burning (S) to confuse the horses and make the stagecoach driver stop.  The Kid hated the smell of the stuff—it reminded him of a rotten goose egg.  But, it would make any dumb animal or man helpless when it was inhaled and make them forget everything but the need to breathe clean, crisp fresh (O).

          He was getting too old to do this, and his bones ached from (Ca) deposits he had developed in his knees from hard work in the (Zn) refinery.  He had led a hard life:  as a young man, he had been a scout in the army and had used (He) balloons to spy on the enemy during the War Between the States, and he was a Confederate soldier from Texas.  A rancher’s daughter had loved him too, and she tried to poison him with (As) when she found that he cared for another woman.  He just wanted one last robbery to make his fortune and then he would leave his life of crime.

          Up there!—the stagecoach was coming, guarded by a deputy with a (Tn) badge.  The Kid lit the bag from his hiding spot and tossed it in front of the horses, causing them to rear up and snort in fear.  The deputy went for his rifle, but The Kid drew first and filled him with (Pb) slugs.  The (Cu) shells from his pistol clattered on the ground—the deputy’s life wasn’t worth a plugged (Ni). A (Pt) blonde passenger with red lipstick screamed at the sight of The Kid, and she held tightly to an (Al) box under her seat.  “Give me those diamonds on your fingers,” snarled The Kid, “or I’ll crush them into (C) dust!”  The woman fainted in fear.

          Suddenly, shots rang out again, and the sheriff and his posse galloped out from their hiding spot with their guns raised.  The Kid was taken before a judge and thrown into a jail with (Co)-colored steel-reinforced bars—the sun would burn out of its supply of (H) before The Kid would be a free man. His jail sentence was a warning to all that crime never pays!!

H _______________   Co__________________     C ______________   Ni ____________

Pt _______________   Al __________________    Pb _____________    Tn ____________

As____________        Zn _______________          S ______________     O _____________

Cu ___________         Ca _______________          U _____________      Mg ____________

Ne ____________      Ag _______________            I _______________  Fe _____________

Au ____________          

The deadly Japanese Puffer fish - eat at your own risk

 

Fugu: The fish more poisonous than cyanide

By Roland BurkBBC News, Tokyo 18 May 2012 https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-18065372

(This article is presented by me because (1) I lived in Japan and China, and I have eaten some strange things like sea worms--but not ever as dangerous as this, and (2) it's the kind of cool educational idea that can make for a great class report or presentation. 

The Japanese delicacy fugu, or blowfish, is so poisonous that the smallest mistake in its preparation could be fatal. But Tokyo's city government is planning to ease restrictions that allow only highly trained and licensed chefs to serve the dish.

Kunio Miura always uses his special knives to prepare fugu - wooden-handled with blades tempered by a swordsmith to a keen edge. Before he starts work in his kitchen they are brought to him by an assistant, carefully stored in a special box.

Miura-san, as he is respectfully known, has been cutting up blowfish for 60 years but still approaches the task with caution. A single mistake could mean death for a customer.

Fugu is an expensive delicacy in Japan and the restaurants that serve it are among the finest in the country. In Miura-san's establishment a meal starts at $120 (£76) a head, but people are willing to pay for the assurance of the fugu chef licence mounted on his wall, yellowed now with age. He is one of a select guild authorised by Tokyo's city government to serve the dish.

When he begins work the process is swift, and mercifully out of sight of the surviving fugu swimming in their tank by the restaurant door.

First he lays the despatched fish, rather square of body with stubby fins, on its stomach and cuts open the head to removes its brain and eyes.

They are carefully placed in a metal tray marked "non-edible". Then he removes the skin, greenish and mottled on the top and sides, white underneath, and starts cutting at the guts.

"This is the most poisonous part," he says pulling out the ovaries. But the liver and intestines are potentially lethal too. "People say it is 200 times more deadly than cyanide."

Tetrodotoxin poisoning: 

Numbness around the mouth followed by paralysis and death by respiratory failure - the victim remaining conscious throughout

• First recorded case found in the logs of Captain Cook in 1774, after crew members ate the fish
• Tetrodotoxin is named after the Tetraodontiformes order of fish, which includes blowfish
• It is also found in blue-ringed octopuses, some toads, newts and other animals

Twenty-three people have died in Japan after eating fugu since 2000, according to government figures. Most of the victims are anglers who rashly try to prepare their catch at home. A spokesman for the Health and Welfare Ministry struggles to think of a single fatality in a restaurant, though last year a woman was hospitalised after eating a trace of fugu liver in one of Tokyo's top restaurants - not Miura-san's.

Tetrodotoxin poisoning has been described as "rapid and violent", first a numbness around the mouth, then paralysis, finally death. The unfortunate diner remains conscious to the end. There is no antidote.

"This would be enough to kill you," Miura-san says, slicing off a tiny sliver of fugu ovary and holding it up. Then he carefully checks the poisonous organs on the tray, making sure he has accounted for every one, and tips them into a metal drum locked with a padlock. They will be taken to Tokyo's main fish-market and burned, along with the offcuts from other fugu restaurants.

Miura-san's skill is therefore highly prized. Fugu chefs consider themselves the elite of Japan's highly competitive culinary world. He started as an apprentice in a kitchen at the age of 15. Training lasts at least two years but he was not allowed to take the practical test to get a licence until he was 20, the age people become a legal adult in Japan. A third of examinees fail.

Deadly delicacies

You don't need to dine out to sup on potentially fatal fare. Did you know that these humble foods could also have deleterious effects on your health?

Mushrooms, while benign in many varieties, can cause serious illness including kidney failure and even death.

Rhubarb leaves are discarded in cooking as they contain oxalic acid, which can cause serious illness and in big enough quantities, death.

Peanuts can be dangerous to those with severe nut allergies .

Potatoes with a greenish tinge could contain glycoalkaloids which can be dangerous when consumed in large enough quantities.

So proposals by Tokyo's city government to relax the rules have been met with an outcry from qualified chefs. Coming into effect in October, they would allow restaurants to serve portions of fugu that they have bought ready-prepared off-site.

"We worked hard to get the licence and had to pass the most difficult exam in Tokyo," says Miura-san. "Under the new rules people will be able to sell fugu after just going to a class and listening for a day. We spent lots of time and money. To get this skill you have to practise by cutting more than a hundred fish and that costs hundreds of thousands of yen."

The authorities in Tokyo impose stricter regulations than any other Japanese city. In some, restaurants have already been able to sell pre-prepared fugu for a long time. And even in Tokyo these days, it is available over the internet and in some supermarkets - one reason why officials think the rules need updating.

In terms of cost, it is likely fugu would become available in cheaper restaurants and pubs (izakayas). But going to a proper fugu restaurant to eat good wild-caught fish, prepared on-site, is quite a luxury - because of the cost, if nothing else - and also quite an event. For many, playing the equivalent of Russian roulette at the dinner table is the attraction of the dish.

Some report a strange tingling of the lips from traces of the poison, although Miura-san thinks that is unlikely. He also scoffs at the myth that a chef would be honour-bound to commit ritual suicide with his fish knife if he killed a customer. Loss of his licence, a fine, litigation or perhaps prison would be the penalty.

Image captionThe translucent fugu is carefully arranged in the form of petals

Miura-san serves fugu stew, and grilled fugu with teriyaki sauce, but today it is fugu-sashimi on the menu. He carefully slices the fish so thinly that when it is arranged like the petals of a chrysanthemum flower on a large dish the pattern beneath shows through.

Raw fugu is rather chewy and tastes mostly of the accompanying soy sauce dip. It is briefly poached in a broth set on a table-top burner - a dish known as shabu-shabu in Japan. The old journalistic cliche when eating unusual foods really does hold true - it tastes rather like chicken.

Fugu lovers, though, would say it has a distinctive taste, and, even more importantly, texture. Japanese has many words to describe texture because it is a very important aspect of the cuisine.

Another part of the fish's appeal is that it is a seasonal dish, eaten in winter, and Japanese diners attach a particular value to this. In the same way unagi, eel, is an important summer dish. But whatever you think of eel, it's not quite fugu - it lacks that extra thrill that comes with the knowledge that by eating it you are dicing with death.

How to write a modern Greek myth

 Plugging my own skillset here because a state university wants to know if I am qualified to teach writing. Well then: aside from my 25 years in doing it, how about a sample? Maybe from--a different time period? But yes, I am sure I can teach Critical Thinking for Writing in any subject. Like this:

Every man and woman faces major challenges in life.  They are part of a continuing cycle: love, security, courage, the ability to communicate, and confidence.  In “A Modern Woman,” an offer is made to a lady to show how she has faced those demands.  However, the summons for her presence and a set of encounters that follow has come from the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece, who will decide her fate. 

The unexpected offer as well as outcome is far greater than anything she has ever known or considered:  if she wins, immortality is granted.  If she loses…she may face death.  Her results indicate how each one of us can decide our own future when our own challenges occur.  The way we view ourselves and how we have prepared our own values are our greatest gifts that we either use or discard.

Short answer/essay response:
Why are each of the answers given by the novice accepted by each of the challenging gods and goddesses? How and why are they convinced? How does she use her answers to them?  Describe her comments: what impression is she presenting?  Be descriptive: how does she speak? How are her answers received? Who adds to the importance, and why does it help make a difference? 

Who really appears to be in control of Olympus and why does this make the lesson of the story that much more empowering?  Why and how is this different than other stories of adventure? Finally--and optional: if you think this story reminds you of someone--anyone--even you--why? How? What difference has your story brought regarding Character, Wisdom, or Encouragement in YOUR life?

(I wrote this story to express admiration for someone. 

Yes. This is an original story.)

A Modern Woman for the 21st Century

          The gods and goddesses were surprised at the news.  A new arrival was to be heralded on sacred Mt. Olympus.  All were interested to meet the newcomer and prepare their tests of measure and worth.  Hera, queen of the gods, enlisted several of the others to be sure that they understood the challenge.  A new goddess had not been selected to sit on a throne on Mt. Olympus for many thousands of years, long after the glorious days of Socrates and Solon, of Athens in her splendor and Sparta in fighting majesty, had long passed to dust.
          Zeus himself was pleased:  another goddess might mean another female to pursue, a womanly figure to entertain his eye and desires.  And then a conch shell blew.  It was Poseidon, god of the Sea, calling all together to hear the reading of the Scroll of Immortality.  Hermes, the Messenger, stepped forward into the Circle of Light and held aloft the scroll and the names inscribed upon it.  Before him sat brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles; all gods and goddesses of Universal magnitude and authority.
          There was Ares, defiant god of War; Aphrodite, goddess of Love and pleasure; Apollo, keeper of the Chariot of the Sun; stern Hades, ruler of the Underworld and the riches of the earth; Athena, goddess of Wisdom, bearing her shield with the image of the Medusa’s head, and an owl perched on her shoulder.  And watching carefully over the others, Queen Hera.  She wanted to ensure that the novice goddess-to-be was worthy of a sip of ambrosia, nectar of the gods, and the immortal life that would follow.  All were directed to bring their full energies to bear upon the initiate during her test.  Zeus threw a thunderbolt earthward, announcing to the mortals below that the trial had begun.
          Up stepped Apollo, brandishing the reins to the horses that drew his chariot.  For a full day, he raced across the sky, pulling the Sun behind him.  And when the day had passed, he returned and addressed the others.  “I have let the strength and brightness of the Sun fall upon her,” he said.  “I have not been able to diminish her presence.  She radiates a greater light from within than the Sun itself.  She has passed my test.”
          Next came Ares, carrying his sword and shield of battle.  “I can handle this woman, who would dare call herself a goddess,” he swore.  “Come forward, if you dare, and face a true warrior!”  The gathering became a field of combat, the sounds of armor and weapons clashing.  Finally, Ares lowered his sword and said sullenly, “She knows the arts of fighting.  I accept her as an equal.”  The novice brought her own sword to bear, and swung at Ares.  A new battle followed, with the initiate taking the role of aggressor.  Athena stepped in and brought the fight to a halt.  “It seems, brother, that she has issued her own challenge.  Do you accept her answer?”  Ares gave her a dark, baleful stare in reply as he wiped the blood from fresh wounds, but a stern look from Hera, his mother, silenced his thoughts.
          “She has met me on the arena of battle.  I declare her to be a warrior of strength and courage,” he admitted to the others.  The initiate spoke up:  “Take up arms not against such as me.  I have faced greater fights and stronger opponents and won, and do not take lightly the thought of being oppressed by the foolishness of anyone.”  Zeus smiled at the boldness of the answer and a murmur of approval was heard through the gathering.  Hercules spoke up, giving his favor.  “I would gladly take this one along on an adventure if she is willing!”  Hebe, bearer of ambrosia and wife of Hercules, crossed her arms softly and stared at her husband, and he quickly added, “Of course, it would be for the glory and praise to be reckoned for such a noble one as she!”
          “I am next,” said Hesta, keeper of hearth and home.  “Come show me, little one, what you know of the comforts of a place for dwelling and rest, a shrine for body and soul.”  The novice replied, “Behold my own abode:  I have guided and built it with my own energy and vitality to be a welcome and warm beacon for all who would become my friend and family.  Come feel the security, the beauty, of that which I have forged with my hands and heart, and the serenity that brings company to my door.”  Hesta gazed down at the sight of the home and smiled.  “I should have easily recognized the lady and owner of such property before me.”
         “My test is far more difficult,” said a voice that floated with the sighs of heroes and gods hanging on her words.  Aphrodite came down off her throne to the silent gaze of all others.  The gods who were present had all longed for her in their hearts.  She had been promised to Hephaestus the lame, forger of metals, but her affections were not for him.  Among mortals, only Adonis had truly won her over, and his death had wounded her deeply.  “What do you know of love, of giving yourself to another, my friend?  Have you ever shared heart and soul without reserve, and longed for a warm embrace?” she asked.
          Her words did not come aloud; they burned across the distance and were only heard between the two women.  The look that carried the answer held the stories of lovers come and gone, of marriage and a lifetime’s dream cast aside, of loneliness and empty arms; and hope, for happiness yet to come.  The goddess of Love knew the heart that gave the answer, for she had helped craft the emotions that were found there.  “I have known your response before it was asked by me,” she said softly.  “You have my approval and trust forever.”
          “My turn,” cried Hermes, god of words and thoughts.  “And what do you know of the versatility of the mind, of speech; the nimbleness of an idea well spoken?  Can you outwit me, the master of liars and thieves?  Are you clever enough to charm your way out of the snare of a god?”  The initiate looked back at him.  “I know enough,” she replied, “to know that my thoughts and words can travel to the ends of the earth, and men and women find me most entertaining.  Would you deny that I favor you highly amongst those who reside on this sacred mountain?  I find the idea of a well-turned phrase most pleasing to my ear.  I trust that a good conversation is a cup well sipped from.  Is not the gift of speech, and a timely thought best offered in the company of those who can appreciate it to the fullest?”  Hermes bowed gracefully and tipped his winged hat in admiration.  “I salute your eloquence and imagination!”
          And then Zeus, Hera, and Poseidon stood. Only Hades stayed behind, for he knew he was losing a soul to safeguard at the door of the Underworld.  Poseidon spoke first:  “I see within this child, the depths and mysteries to the ocean deep that I rule.  I give to those who ask, the answers to the illusions of the seas that I keep hidden from the eyes of men and women.  Guard my secrets carefully; you have earned my respect.”
       It was then Zeus’s time to address the gathering.  “My brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, we have been cast aside by those who once worshipped us. But the old ways are not forgotten by those who remain faithful to those times long passed by.  I now call this test to its completion, and bid the bearers of ambrosia to bring the sacred cup forward to be sipped by our newest member.  I give her the safeguard of Athena, for wisdom and merit.”
           Athena bowed graciously to her father and stood beside her charge.  “Let the artisans begin work on a throne for our new companion,” she declared.  I find her worthy to be known as the goddess of Perseverance, of Determination, and Endurance, for she has met our challenges most strongly with those qualities.  I call upon those mortals below to grace her name with dignity and respect.  And I bid them to call upon her by her name when she was a mortal, for now she has become one of us.  For I, Athena, will take this one’s fame to the far corners of the world.”
          Finally, Hera spoke.  “I have championed your invitation to sit amongst us, to be rewarded for your vigilance and commitment.  I need not ask for approval; by my request for your presence, you have already been accepted.  I give both blessing and approval to your words, Athena.  Herald the new goddess on Olympus and welcome her by my order and her new name as a goddess:  We knew her when she was called “******” at birth."

(c) MDLOP8 1992

The Creative Classroom Experience book

My 4th book, The Creative Classroom Experience, is now available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. It's a collection of some of my work on this site as well as some featured short stories that I've written**, along with some classic short stories from authors like Mark Twain and Ray Bradbury. And a commentary from--yes, it was "him"--Groucho Marx.

Here's the table of contents:

----------------------------------------------------

1.    Commentary on the Creative Classroom Experience: p. 9

2.    “Welcome to the Creative Classroom”: p. 12

3.    Ground Rules and Principles of the Creative Classroom: p. 17

4.    The Creative Classroom Mandate: p. 21

5.    Grammar – Fundamentals of Reading and Writing: p. 25

6.    “Use to/Used to”: p. 27

7.    English is a crazy thing: p. 29

8.    Lay or Lie?: p. 35

9.    Numb about Numbers?: p. 37

10.  Homophones, homonyms, Synonyms, and Antonyms: p. 38

11.  The Perilous Points of Punctuation: p. 41

12.  Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?: p. 44

13.  Underlining and italics: p. 46

14.  Apostrophe marks show ownership: that’s mine!: p. 48

15.  That’s a Capital idea!: p. 51

16.  Quickly qualify quotes!: p. 53

17.  Clever, Crafty, Creative, and Calculating Commas: p. 55

18.  Writing is a good thing!: p. 59

19.  Oh, no, it’s ‘the dreaded Outline’!: p. 62

20.  THINK and brainstorm out your ideas!: p. 66

21.  “A Thesis is a powerful statement,” I declared: p. 70

22.  Who-What-Where-When-Why-How for a Thesis: p. 74

23.  Classic social archetypes (role models) for a Thesis: p. 77

24.  Four Motivating Factors of Society in Literature: p. 79

25.  The Creative Classroom Part II: a focus on literature and short stories and writing: p. 86

26.  Fluid Learning concepts for extrapolation and juxtaposing ideas: p. 87

27.  “What do you do well and how did you learn this?”: p. 89

28.  Topic Sentences are paragraph starters (and cues): p. 93

29.  Planning a Successful Tent Camping Trip: p. 99

30.  Learn to be a student: take notes and be responsible: p. 102

31.  Use transition words like a ladder for successful writing: p. 106

32.  Read good literature to develop critical thinking: p. 111

33.  “The Jungle” – a lesson in critical thinking: p. 113

34.  Using myth as a theme for a paper: p. 116

35.  Odysseus: the man and the myth: p. 117

36.  A myth: “A Modern Woman for the 21^st Century”: p. 123

37.  Go to college and find yourself a career and life: p. 131

38.  Haven’t I seen you somewhere before? Aren’t you famous?:   p. 134

39.  Bird Facts: p. 137

40.  The Renaissance – an outline for 8^th grade: p. 140

41.  Let’s Meet the Renaissance: p. 148

42.  The Renaissance Guild Assignments: p. 151

43.  “I’m (not) Afraid of Public Speaking: p. 171

44.  Poetry for Fun and Learning: p. 174

45.  MLA & APA – how to cite information: p. 179

46.  MLA & APA (and more) citation lessons: p. 182

47.  Even MORE Citation help for MLA/APA: p. 185

48.  Signal/Action Verbs show how an idea is presented: p. 188

49.  Sources for potential reading: science fiction, humor, fiction and more: p. 192

50.  “They Bite” by Anthony Boucher: p. 194

51.  “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury: p. 217

52.  “Jim Wolf and the Wasps” by Mark Twain: p. 250

53.  “Not Wasting a Watermelon” by Mark Twain: p. 255

54.  Great Builder: the Lady and the Brooklyn Bridge: p. 260

55.  “Manna From Heaven” – A one-act play: p. 273

56.  About the Author: p. 296

Critical Thinking = Successful Problem-Solving Results

I can not say this enough times: if you know how to critically think and look at problems, the answers will come. Example in real-life for me: On Oct. 13, 2023, I was involved at 3:00 a.m. in a car accident in heavy fog coming down from the mountain where I live where a large rock had dislodged. I was enroute to a flight scheduled at 6:00 a.m. I coasted to a stop, contacted my insurance company, and then called for an UBER driver--which I hadn't used prior. So I had to open and validate an account online right away. I also had to make sure the insurance company would send a tow truck and make sure my car went to a repair facility. I made the flight. People asked me, "How were you so calm and prepared?" I answered, "I had no choice. 

I HAD to make that flight."