When I was on the high school football team (hard to believe, I know) I remember a coach yelling “Keep your head on a Swivel!” The idea was to be aware of your surroundings at all times, so you didn’t get clobbered. If you were looking too closely at a running back, you might not see the pulling guard coming to drill you.
You never wanted to hear, “Hasseman, you need to keep your head on a swivel!” It probably meant you were on your back.
I hear that voice in my head now, but in a different way. Whenever I go to a public place, I “keep my head on a swivel.” But now it’s not because I am concerned with a pulling guard. As an adult, it’s because I want to be aware of others around me.
I want to make sure I am not stepping in front of another person.
I try to look and make sure I am not bumping someone else out of the way.
Mainly, I am trying to “keep my head on a swivel” so that I am not making MY priority the only important task in the universe.
We all get busy (especially during the holidays). But I think the world might be a bit of a better place if we all kept “our head on a swivel” to look out for the needs of others…not just our own.
