Sweetheart and I live in an area where the municipality allows us to burn paper and brush. From time to time, we do just that.
Sometimes, when I am tending the fire, I get a little too close and I feel the heat on my face and arms. Or, if the smoke comes in my direction, I breathe some in and it makes me cough. That’s when I feel a true appreciation for the firefighters in our community and our nation, who fight big fires--house fires, forest fires, industrial fires.
Of course, they wear protective gear that prevents most of the burns and smoke inhalation, but I’m sure it weighs them down. And they risk their lives every time they leave the firehouse. Where would we be without them?
Years ago, when I was married the first time, my mother lived 10 miles away from us. She had been having health issues. We didn’t know until after she died that she had Parkinson’s Disease.
One night she called me after my husband and I had gone to bed. She said she had fallen and couldn’t get up. She had crawled over to the telephone to call me. She said she called 911, but she didn’t want strangers to come and help her. By the time I got there, the front door was off its hinges and Mom was nowhere to be seen.
I went to the hospital emergency room and found her there. What would we do without EMTs? We didn’t always have them. They help to make the world a little safer.
Several years ago, I was working the afternoon shift at a background investigation company 35 miles from my house. One night, as I was coming home, around midnight, I came upon a police sobriety check. I was sober as a judge and all I wanted to do was go home and go to bed.
Nevertheless, I stopped and complied with all of the nice policeman’s requests. I did not speak unless spoken to. I did not complain or become unruly. I figured he would find enough inebriated people to do that. As a result, he sent me on my way with “Have a good night.” I wished him the same.
Police officers have a tough job. They must confront, not only people who have had too much alcohol to drink, but also perpetrators of crimes of violence and abuse. They must make split-second decisions that can be life-changing for the perpetrator, the victim and themselves. And, they sometimes must face the scrutiny of Monday-morning quarterbacks, who can scrutinize the officer’s decision at their convenience.Yet, these brave men and women put their lives on the line every day so they can protect ours.
We mustn’t leave out the young men and women who volunteer to serve in our military--to defend our nation from enemies--foreign and domestic. It takes immense courage to leave home and family and travel to a hostile country to fight for people you don’t know. It makes sleep come a little easier for us at home by knowing that.
Some people are born with a desire to help others enough to risk their own. They do their best I applaud them all..
Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or send a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com
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