“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca I have believed for a long time that the hardest thing firefighters do is get up every morning and go to work, never knowing what the day might throw at us. To face that uncertainty is the one truly brave thing we do.…
Read More
We are experiencing a time of great turmoil right now; destruction, chaos and pain. It’s exhausting and overwhelming. But it is also an opportunity. Because the possibility exists for the inconsequential, the small and mundane desires that no longer serve us, to be swept aside as deep, consequential energies rise to the surface. Questions…
Read More
She called 911 because she said she had been hit over the head by a man with a lock and chain. She was barefoot and terrified. Her feet were encrusted with many layers of dirt. It had been a long time since she’d worn shoes. Her pants were torn and soiled, the fabric frayed from…
Read More
It’s so easy to lose yourself, becoming buried in the BS of our daily lives, trying to climb some imaginary ladder of success not even knowing where that might lead. ____ Who’s definition of success are you even climbing towards? What if that ideological epitome of success that society has engrained in us is a…
Read MoreThis is a time of transformation for our planet and the human race. Cosmologically, we’re entering a new 200 year cycle and it’s playing out in big ways. Transformation hurts. It’s chaotic. Things die for new life to be born. This is the Year of Karma when our life choices come to fruition in…
Read MoreEarly in my career as a firefighter I had already collected three stork pins. Granted, two came after delivering one set of twins. When my newest call came in for an imminent birth, I calmly strolled to the rig. I sensed anxiety as the rest of the crew piled into the cab. The captain and…
Read MoreAngel of the Air Before I was hired as a Minneapolis firefighter, I worked as a 911 call taker and as an ambulance dispatcher. A small percentage of people make sitting in dispatch a life-long career. The revolving door in and out of those positions is a fast one, for a variety of reasons. Some…
Read MoreChasing the Flash I like the me I was, more than the me I have become. I like the idealistic me—before I understood regret. Jessie, pound for pound was the strongest person on the fire department. She was knocked on her ass during a training drill and my internal injustice alarm screamed through my idealistic…
Read More
I value kindness most. I often find kindness in conflict with what I value second, truth. I mentioned a story of revenge in my last post. What does revenge have to do with kindness? Months after refusing to participate in the unsafe hose training drill, I was assigned to an engine company at a new station. The station…
Read More
Welcome back for the conclusion of this three-part blog. Last time ended when Eddie, worried I was out to get him, transferred to a different firehouse. With Eddie gone we were assigned a tramp each following shift to take his place. A tramp in Minneapolis is a term for a firefighter, female or male,…
Read More- « Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Next »