A Shield is someone that runs interference. He stays between you and your obstacle to allow you freedom to function. Without a Shield, you will find yourself dealing with issues and obstructions that will keep you from doing your Real Job.
After Hurricane Andrew, all the people I dealt with were trying to put their lives back together again. They had lost their homes and most of their possessions. After working hard and building up a life for themselves, they lost it all in the savage onslaught of Nature. They were shell shocked and trying hard to make sense of their lives.
And every time I appeared on the scene to try to do my Real Job, these poor people simply wanted some human reassurance. They wanted to connect with someone to share their stories of struggle and uncertainty. They simply needed to hear someone say that everything would be okay.
But my Real Job was to get in, document damages and get out to my next stop. I knew I had to visit 10-15 more houses in similar states of devastation that same day. Later on I had to type reports of my investigations for the engineers. I had work to do and I didn't have time to chat!
That's why Freddy saved the day. As the Shield, Freddy was there to talk to everyone. To listen to their stories and to comfort them. Just because Freddy was a crazy person didn't mean that he wasn't useful. He listened to their tearful tales and agreed to help them rebuild their lives. So what if Freddy was barely sane?
Without Freddy as my Shield, I could never have succeeded. Find a Shield and don't be afraid to use it.
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