During this past autumn, I had the pleasure of attending a wonderfully informative and fun luncheon sponsored by Jabra. I was excited about several new products, applications, and new developments.
I marveled over the Clipper headset that could be used while running, because during my Project 2010k I had experiences with earbuds sliding or yanking out of my ears while running, or - in one case - with the wire actually breaking as I made a sudden movement.
And the Jabra Stone really appealed to me because I used to leave my headset in the car where it would of course lose power. The Stone charges itself within the "stone" so it doesn't require a full "in-house" charge-up for awhile. One of the presenters told us he wears his Stone around the house. Although I've mastered the "shoulder cradle" hold, it does make sense to use a headset in the house so I can multi-task. (Note: there is now Stone 2, which looks amazing!)
I enjoyed learning about applications that read email, and how some Jabra products are Skype-enabled. I realized Jabra isn't only about mobile phone calls. Email, radio, and music are all enhanced using Jabra products.
I went away from the luncheon feeling happy with all the "cool" things I had learned about and the product samples I was taking home. I thought about the products as "fun," "innovative" and "time-saving." I thought about entertainment and work-related productivity.
But what I learned is that these Jabra products ended up being vital in terms of FAMILY.
Soon after the luncheon, I threw out my back. My test of the Clipper while running was going to have to wait. As I was lamenting the end of Project 2010k and realizing just how hard it is to move around when my back wouldn't cooperate, a much bigger situation came on the horizon: my dad had open-heart surgery. It was unexpected and frightening. One week the doctors saw "a bit of blockage" and the next week it required a 5-way bypass.
Suddenly, my focus wasn't on work. It wasn't on fun. It was on family.
The day of the surgery, I had to make sure I could be reached at any time. No more would I let a call go to voicemail if I were driving or weeding the garden. I needed to answer the call, but of course I needed to stay safe. Between my Jabra Cruiser and the Jabra Stone, I was always covered.
I was able to pick up in an instant when my mom gave me those valuable updates from the hospital waiting room, and especially when I got the amazingly fabulous news that the surgery had gone well.
Even though I had plenty of other responsibilities after the surgery (and especially as my mind wasn't very productive during the waiting period I had to play "catch up") I wanted to see my dad as much as possible. I went to the hospital daily to spend as much time as I could with him. I was relieved that the surgery had gone well, but realized I could have lost him.
On the drives to and from the hospital, I was thrilled that the Jabra Cruiser kept me in touch with other family members and with clients. I was able to conduct the work I needed to do in order to keep my job, but more importantly, I was able to converse with family members about my dad's situation. My mom was able to call me while I was driving to ask that I bring something from home, or purchase something at the store for my dad. I could hear the calls clearly, the people I spoke to could hear me clearly, and I was able to answer and hang up safely to avoid keeping me out of the hospital as a patient.
Information was comforting, vital, and ultimately helped plan a big surprise: my aunt and I decorated my parents' home for Christmas, and my younger son decorated a tree. My brother put up the exterior Christmas lights, and I baked some holiday treats using heart-healthy products. When my parents came home after a week away, they came home to a happy, festive house. They could focus on my dad's recovery, not on having to drag out holiday decorations that would have been too heavy for my dad to lift anyway.
Before the Jabra luncheon, I had pretty much given up on using my mobile phone in the car. The headsets I had tried broke, fell out of my ear, or were uncomfortable. They were too loud or not loud enough. And so, I would let my calls go to voicemail, or I'd attempt to talk on speakerphone, usually with annoying results.
Had I not gone to the Jabra luncheon, I would not have had a safe option for my car while going through the stress and logistics of my father's surgery and recovery. And, since my priorities necessarily shifted dramatically at that point, finding the time to purchase a headset wouldn't have been on my radar. I am therefore extremely grateful that I had the Jabra products ready to go into action.
For the holidays I gave two Jabra Cruisers as presents, both to individuals going through divorces. I know how much they want to be able to talk to their respective kids - and now they can do so, even if that call happens while they are commuting.
Sure, Jabra provides for plenty of fun, entertainment, and productivity, but I'm thankful that part of the function is FAMILY.
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Disclosure: Jabra paid for my lunch and also provided me product samples with the hope - but not requirement - that I spread the news. I will receive no further compensation for posting about my experience.
