Availability Makes A Difference

I have always thought that one of the most important abilities a person can possess is availability. This is because I have seen people acquire enviable skills and then not be present when their help is needed and their highly rated skill becomes useless at the moment. Imagine the best diver not being at the poolside the day someone is drowning? Or the fire service not coming during a fire? It's a waste of ability due to lack of availability.

So I advocate that in all your abilities, try and gain availablity.
In keeping with this philosophy of mine, one way I ensure that I stay connected with others is to always leave my phone on, when possible.

I can't remember the last time I switched off my phone by myself.
All the times I remember my phone being off was caused by power outage which was beyond my control.

About two years ago, I received a call few minutes to 11 pm and it was from a classmate, a friend.
He was in need of someone to come help him jumpstart his car downstairs as he needed to quickly go rescue another classmate who happened to be stranded somewhere that late in the night.

I quickly got up and went to borrow him my battery so as to get his car started. Then I decided to accompany him on the journey as it was late.
He was very pleased with my offer and could not refuse it.

When we got to the classmate's location, she was visibly scared and couldn't contain her happiness and joy when she saw us.
She was particularly grateful that we not only picked calls that late but also acted upon it.

She had been a victim of entering the vehicle of a crazy driver who was driving recklessly and so she had to come down from the car for her safety but the lateness of the night meant that no where was safe.

When I reminisce on the events that transpired that night I just wonder how different the outcome could have been if our phones were not on. She would have been stranded and possibly fall into the wrong hands.

There are other instances that made me to solidify this belief like when my mum called me late in the night because she was weak.
It was already past 10 pm and I would have to go home to check on her.

On getting home, I was very glad that I came because she needed urgent hospital admission. So I took her straight to a hospital that night.
Since then, I try to always leave my phone on. Not because I pray for emergencies but because I know that it could come at any time. We don't have control of some of these stuffs.

I took have benefitted from people who left their phones on and so I know how refreshing it could be to need help and get it despite the lateness of the night.