My typical day starts with an early morning walk with our dog, Kona, affectionately known around here as "Kona the Destroyer". We always end up at our local dog park where Kona gets off-leash time with her buddies and I get to gossip with other doggy parents.
The other morning I heard a shout and turned just in time to see what looked like the world's biggest red-tailed hawk swoop down past one of Kona's playmates. Wilson is a 30 pound labradoodle and it was clear that the hawk was planning to invite him back to its nest for breakfast but had changed its mind at the last minute. It was over in an instant and Wilson never even realized how close he had come to being the special of the day.
It's a simple story but it demonstrates a number of points about risk that we sometimes forget:
- Risk is not static - it can change over time and needs to be reassessed regularly. We had heard stories about the hawks being a danger to smaller dogs but never considered that a large hawk might choose to up his game.
- Risk can change dramatically in a short time and take you unawares. The incident was over before we realized what was happening.
- Risk is not always apparent to those most affected by it. Wilson never saw the hawk, never reacted to it flying overhead. Frequently those most at risk have a strong sense of denial and won't acknowledge risk.
- Increased risk doesn't necessarily produce change. All of us were back at the park this morning as usual, although we are passing on a warning to those with smaller dogs.
There's also a lesson to be learned from the hawk as well. The hawk decided that his target was too heavy, made a minor adjustment, and changed his strike into a graceful swoop.When you're committed to a goal and focused on achieving it, it sometimes pays to reassess your risk. Decisive action can make the difference between disaster and survival.
You can learn a lot from a hawk.
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