“First of all, Lars is okay.”
Those were among the first words I heard when I received an unexpected call from a camp director last week.
My nephew was attending a summer day camp. They were on a field trip, and Lars was injured.
Mom and Dad, both at work, had not been reachable, so I was the next person on the director’s list. Understood.
☀️ Time to Shine:
I listened intently to what the director said.
It turned out Lars had experienced a playground injury that was more severe than your run-of-the-mill scrape or bruise (how do we survive childhood!?) He had hit his nose pretty hard, and the camp director thought we might want to take him to urgent care, just in case.
And when you’re six years old and bloody, you want Mom, Dad, or the next best thing, right?
Thankfully, Dave and I had the ability to drop what we were doing, and the camp was less than 15 minutes away.
Looking back, I think just about everything went “right” with this minor emergency (except for Lars getting injured in the first place, but kids will be kids):
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The camp had a first aid kit on hand, complete with a much-needed ice pack to minimize swelling.
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The director had the emergency phone numbers with him. Although I was his third call... the system worked.
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I had a car seat already installed in my vehicle so I could immediately drive Lars wherever he needed to go.
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The camp instructed parents to send kids with a change of clothes—and we were going to need them. Blood was on everything, including his shoes!
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I was able to reach Mom and Dad, and both would be able to leave work soon.
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A gentle bath, Saltine® crackers (to prevent nausea from any blood he may have swallowed), sliced watermelon (a good way to hydrate kids), a few stuffed animals to hug (“Emergency contacts” should always have a teddy bear around 🧸), and the Pixar movie Up helped soothe him (thank you Pixar creators!).
Six year-old Lars, above, holds a brown teddy bear and two stuffed white rabbits while watching the Pixar movie "Up" at my house. That morning he had a pretty scary injury on the playground.
(This photo does not show the side of his nose that was injured, poor guy.)
The unshed tears in my sister’s eyes when she saw Lars for the first time reminded me of what it’s like to experience your child’s first emergency.
It’s your worst fear realized.😱
I gave her a reassuring hug and, using my older sister "voice of experience," told her everything was going to be okay.
📚 Time to Learn:
Following the incident, I asked myself what could have gone better. Had this been a serious emergency, did I have everything I needed?
Nope!
This is when the organizer in me stepped up, so I would be ready in the future:
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I had my sister send me a digital copy of Lars’ medical card and filed it on my phone. I love my Organize Your Life: The Joy Crazy Way™ system (more on that below) because it’s easy to find items you’ve physically or digitally "filed" away.
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I always keep ice packs and Band-Aids with me when I’m teaching pickleball. But I realized I did not have a first aid kit in my car. So, I now have one in my trunk and added extra Band-Aids, latex gloves, and an ice pack, just in case.
This disposable "instant" ice pack (above) is now in my first aid kit, in the trunk of my car.
I always have them on the pickleball court too.
Do you have a first aid kit?
👥 Time to Connect:
It might be a good idea to check in with your emergency contact, even a spouse, and ask the following:
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Do they have a list of your medications?
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Do they know of any allergies you may have? Or if you carry/have an EpiPen?
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Do they know which hospital or urgent care to take you to in an emergency?
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Do they know where you keep important documents, like a medical directive?
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If you have a pet, does someone (e.g., a neighbor) have a key to your home to care for them if you’re incapacitated?
😨 I know this is tough stuff.
Completing legal documents, tackling tasks and projects, or dealing with email or digital overload may be the kind of “stuff” you struggle with.
I get it.
Like me, you might just need a system—based on research—that makes it easier to get the ball rolling.
It can be especially hard for those of us with neurodivergent brains to see tasks through.
That’s why I am excited that tomorrow, August 12 at 7:00 AM, sign-ups begin for my new in-person self-development class, Organize Your Life: The Joy Crazy Way™.
Along with my pickleball classes, I’ll be teaching my new organizational course through Portland Community College’s Community Ed program.
👉 Browse PCC's fall Community Ed catalog here.
Let's connect and help each other get organized! Fall classes begin the week of September 21, 2026.
Until then, enjoy your summer and remember to live the Joy Crazy Way™ and “Shine, Learn, and Connect.”
Warmly yours (get the pun?!),
Shannon Paul, M.Ed.
Chief Daisy 🌼
Joy Crazy®
P.S. Here are my PCC class links one more time. They may fill up fast, so if you know which class you want, try to sign up bright and early on Wednesday, August 12 at 7:00 AM:
- Organizie Your Life: The Joy Crazy Way™
- Beginning Pickleball
- Pickleball: Beginning Women 50-64
- Pickleball: Beginning Women 65+
P.P.S. I truly love hearing from you. If something in this newsletter resonated, feel free to share your thoughts by hitting "reply" or online in the comment section.
To receive The Joy Crazy Life Newsletter directly in your inbox, click here.
To contact Shannon Paul, M.Ed., please click here.
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