A lesson in paying attention. A couple of days ago, we had a couple of candidates choose to depart from the course early. This happens every class. I’ve done basically the same drill probably hundreds of times now, but this one was different. It started with a slight wobble that a coworker noticed when I was out briefing them on the rules of the road. He thought it was odd enough to mention as we walked away. When we returned 30 minutes later to check their progress doing paperwork and unpacking, this candidate was moving oddly slow and was excessively apologetic for making a mistake. Initially, I thought his demeanor was driven more by the situation than his condition, but I still found it odd enough to ask medical to check him out. “Drink water, change your socks” was the initial diagnosis. After a second trip to check progress, the simple task of unpacking seemed a bridge too far, and I told him to stop what he’s doing, take a shower, and I’ll be back in an hour. After the hour had passed, the shower was taken, but the candidate was clearly confused about the rest of the process. Since his arrival, he had not eaten and barely drank anything because he was so focused on trying to accomplish the tasks given. We were now about 2hours in on 30 minutes of work. I asked him to sit down. It was pretty clear at this point that he had a bit of an ‘altered mental status’ from the day’s events so we sat and talked about everything and nothing just so I could make sure that he ate and drank the food that we delivered earlier. 2 Gatorades, some water, a plate of food and the discovery that we went to the same church back in Nashville, went to the same college in Murfreesboro, and I basically knew the street he grew up on, the candidate seemed to be doing much better. Initially, he couldn’t remember his sister’s name. A side note, there is this property just outside of Lebanon, TN, along the interstate, that the wife and I dream about ‘one day’ each time we drive by. He does basically the same when he and his wife drive by, also visiting family. My best guess, dude was as close to being a heat casualty as you can get without tipping over. ‘Drinking water and changing socks’ was basically the right prescription, but ensuring the follow-through was key in this case. But it all started when my coworker noticed the initial wobble. So the lesson for today, notice the little things and take the time necessary to make things right.
As a reminder, Lunch Box Quotes are notes I include in the kids’ lunches every day. Number 1 gets a text, and 2-4 get handwritten napkins.
Visual credits to, Featured Image: @CowboyGospeler
Quotes: @latinedisce @BearGrylls / @TimTebow @JimBeattie18 @arealmofwonder
Quotes:
1. Per angusta ad augusta — “Through adversity to greatness.” – Learn Latin
2. “Attitude is a choice. Gratitude is a discipline. Bitterness is expensive.” – Tim Tebow (See below for the whole quote, tough to fit that on a napkin.)
3. “May the joy of simple things colour the canvas of your soul.” – Mary Davis
4. “If you live in harmony with Nature, you will never be poor; if you live according to what others think, you will never be rich.” – Seneca, ‘Letters from a Stoic.’
Bonus Quote: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4
2nd Bonus quote in its entirety: “Attitude is a choice. Gratitude is a discipline. Bitterness is expensive. Nobody accidentally has a great attitude. Nobody stumbles into gratitude. And nobody means to end up bitter, it just quietly moves in when you stop choosing something better. Guard your peace like it cost you something. Because it did.” – Tim Tebow
Sources:
Per angusta ad augusta — “Through adversity to greatness.” pic.twitter.com/rQJIZvUp0E
— Learn Latin (@latinedisce) May 8, 2026
So true brother https://t.co/HQhhBWYqyE
— Bear Grylls OBE (@BearGrylls) May 11, 2026
“May the joy
of simple things
colour the canvas
of your soul.” – (Mary Davis)
~
S J Stalter art. pic.twitter.com/TJcn8XiW3F— Jim Beattie (@JimBeattie18) May 10, 2026
“If you live in harmony with Nature, you will never be poor; if you live according to what others think, you will never be rich.”
~ Seneca, ‘Letters from a Stoic’The Pine Forest (1901)
🎨 Gustav Klimt pic.twitter.com/dc3wncIo0R— Cian McCarthy (@arealmofwonder) May 11, 2026
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant.
⏤ 1 Corinthians 13:4 pic.twitter.com/BHc3zH9aIw— Cowboy Gospeler (@CowboyGospeler) May 9, 2026