Tuesday, 6 August 2013
Sunday, 17 March 2013
The calm before the storm
In just a couple of days our calm and quiet life is going to be changed for 3 weeks. Our grandchildren, along with their mother, are coming for an extended visit. The grandsons are 7, 5 and 2... so now you can begin to appreciate how our quiet and solitude will be broken. There will be games, there will be reading of books, there will be disagreements among them, specific chairs will be occupied "until you can get along". Everything breakable from 4' on down is being stowed away or secured in a higher location. What will get broken this time?
Don't get me wrong: I am happily awaiting this trial by child. Once I lived this life and looking from the inside out wondered what life would and could be like. Now that I now longer am living full time with little people I am on the outside looking in. I am pretty certain I prefer it that way.
Today, at a church event, I saw a young father and mother with their 3 boys just a little younger than the grandsons I have described above. Dad was holding the youngest in his lap and doing his level best to keep the boy occupied and relatively quiet. I had a flashback to my days with similar goals and I smiled and (perhaps) shed a tear to two remembering my little guys and gals! I loved having kids!
I also love having grandchildren. But years have gone by since I had to live with them and so there will be a bit of an adjustment as I slide back into the 'higher energy level' required to make things work. This is what I mean by 'storm'... a change to the pace. I think it is a good thing that you have your children when you yourself are young. Yes, it would be better to import the knowledge and wisdom gained by your parents like a mysterious computer transaction. Yet the energy you can bring to the table helps you get through those times when your wits have abandoned you and you just have to outlast 'em. (or send them to bed!)
Bring it on! I am ready. (I hope)
Don't get me wrong: I am happily awaiting this trial by child. Once I lived this life and looking from the inside out wondered what life would and could be like. Now that I now longer am living full time with little people I am on the outside looking in. I am pretty certain I prefer it that way.
Today, at a church event, I saw a young father and mother with their 3 boys just a little younger than the grandsons I have described above. Dad was holding the youngest in his lap and doing his level best to keep the boy occupied and relatively quiet. I had a flashback to my days with similar goals and I smiled and (perhaps) shed a tear to two remembering my little guys and gals! I loved having kids!
I also love having grandchildren. But years have gone by since I had to live with them and so there will be a bit of an adjustment as I slide back into the 'higher energy level' required to make things work. This is what I mean by 'storm'... a change to the pace. I think it is a good thing that you have your children when you yourself are young. Yes, it would be better to import the knowledge and wisdom gained by your parents like a mysterious computer transaction. Yet the energy you can bring to the table helps you get through those times when your wits have abandoned you and you just have to outlast 'em. (or send them to bed!)
Bring it on! I am ready. (I hope)
Monday, 11 February 2013
Death be not proud
Sorry for the ominous heading but it sprang to mind after what I learned this week.
On the first day of my last shift I read an e-mail from a fellow Captain in our department. In the e-mail he announced that he had been diagnosed with a form of pancreatic cancer. He assured all of us that it was not the kind that usually kills in 6 months or less. Still his only optimistic line was that he may have 10 years if his aggresive treatment regimen was successful. Now, this fellow Firefighter is 45 years old. He has a young daughter. He is facing a grim outcome with an open ended date.
Oh how this hit me! I sat and quietly cried for a minute or two as the horror of it all sank in. So sad.
As firefighters we see death almost every cycle we work. Very often it is an older person who died after long years of life. Sometimes it is a young person in a car wreck or perhaps some trauma like GSW or stabbing. Occasionally it is a middle age person who, like my firefighter friend, received a life altering diagnosis some months or years before. But the truth of the matter is that we will all see death because it is an inescapable part of life. It isn't a welcome part of our culture and that is why we try to hide it away whenever possible. Our elderly are neatly tucked into "Assisted Living" or "Long term care" or "Adult Family Home". All of these are clean euphemisms for a very ugly process... because getting old and dying is so very often ugly and filled with body fluids and disfiguring events. I understand it. I get it.
So what am I trying to say? There is comfort and courage to be found in the way faith faces this certainty of life. I can't imagine life without it.
Meanwhile... I will pray for my fellow Captain and his family. God grant him the strength and the grace to face what will surely confront us all.
On the first day of my last shift I read an e-mail from a fellow Captain in our department. In the e-mail he announced that he had been diagnosed with a form of pancreatic cancer. He assured all of us that it was not the kind that usually kills in 6 months or less. Still his only optimistic line was that he may have 10 years if his aggresive treatment regimen was successful. Now, this fellow Firefighter is 45 years old. He has a young daughter. He is facing a grim outcome with an open ended date.
Oh how this hit me! I sat and quietly cried for a minute or two as the horror of it all sank in. So sad.
As firefighters we see death almost every cycle we work. Very often it is an older person who died after long years of life. Sometimes it is a young person in a car wreck or perhaps some trauma like GSW or stabbing. Occasionally it is a middle age person who, like my firefighter friend, received a life altering diagnosis some months or years before. But the truth of the matter is that we will all see death because it is an inescapable part of life. It isn't a welcome part of our culture and that is why we try to hide it away whenever possible. Our elderly are neatly tucked into "Assisted Living" or "Long term care" or "Adult Family Home". All of these are clean euphemisms for a very ugly process... because getting old and dying is so very often ugly and filled with body fluids and disfiguring events. I understand it. I get it.
So what am I trying to say? There is comfort and courage to be found in the way faith faces this certainty of life. I can't imagine life without it.
Meanwhile... I will pray for my fellow Captain and his family. God grant him the strength and the grace to face what will surely confront us all.
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Oh Dear!
I see that it has been well over a month since I last posted anything to this blog. That is almost a guarantee that anyone who was reading it will give up on me! But I find it very hard to write about the mundane events of everyday life as if it were something to write about! Call me 'old fashioned' if you want to but it is very difficult for me to write something about nothing.
Beginning December 20th my youngest son and his wife have been traveling the world. They have begun in South America, Peru to be specific and now, one month into their travels they are about to visit Quito, Ecuador. I have really enjoyed their blog as they post regular pictures and events of their trip. Combine that with a bit of Google Earth and viola! I get to travel vicariously and don't even have to leave home to do it!
Of course this past month found us putting up all the Christmas things, celebrating Christmas and New Years and now we are putting away the Christmas things. Wait 'til next year! So far this winter we have not had any measurable snow here in the Puget Sound and I hope sincerely to keep it that way. Saw on the news yesterday that Chicago Fire had a big warehouse fire and with the temps at or below zero the water was freezing quickly! What a mess! Those poor guys and gals! That was the kind of fire where you are not going to risk anyone by going inside but you know that you can't put the fire out from the outside so all you can do is pour tons of water on it. Only in this case the tons of water quickly becomes tons of ice! It encases everything and changes the weight of the building... ugh.
My own firefighting experience this past six weeks or so has been mostly taking care of flu patients. Why is it that some people just immediately call 911 when they are throwing up? You're sick! Put on your stetson and man up! Going to the hospital won't make it better and you will be miserable at the hospital just like you were miserable at home! I guess some people just can't properly enjoy their misery unless they spread it around to others! 'nuf said.
No promises now about more frequent posting. I'll just do my best.
Beginning December 20th my youngest son and his wife have been traveling the world. They have begun in South America, Peru to be specific and now, one month into their travels they are about to visit Quito, Ecuador. I have really enjoyed their blog as they post regular pictures and events of their trip. Combine that with a bit of Google Earth and viola! I get to travel vicariously and don't even have to leave home to do it!
Of course this past month found us putting up all the Christmas things, celebrating Christmas and New Years and now we are putting away the Christmas things. Wait 'til next year! So far this winter we have not had any measurable snow here in the Puget Sound and I hope sincerely to keep it that way. Saw on the news yesterday that Chicago Fire had a big warehouse fire and with the temps at or below zero the water was freezing quickly! What a mess! Those poor guys and gals! That was the kind of fire where you are not going to risk anyone by going inside but you know that you can't put the fire out from the outside so all you can do is pour tons of water on it. Only in this case the tons of water quickly becomes tons of ice! It encases everything and changes the weight of the building... ugh.
My own firefighting experience this past six weeks or so has been mostly taking care of flu patients. Why is it that some people just immediately call 911 when they are throwing up? You're sick! Put on your stetson and man up! Going to the hospital won't make it better and you will be miserable at the hospital just like you were miserable at home! I guess some people just can't properly enjoy their misery unless they spread it around to others! 'nuf said.
No promises now about more frequent posting. I'll just do my best.
Friday, 7 December 2012
Then I'm gonna go over there...
I have found blogging to be harder than I thought it would be at first. I just can't get psyched up to write something especially if it is mundane stuff... we went over here and then I'm gonna go over there... that level of mundane stuff I cannot stomach let alone post. I am reminded of a song by one of my favorite artists (Jackson Browne) who put it this way
...Let the disappointments pass
Let the laughter fill your glass
Let your illusions last until they shatter.
Whatever you might hope to find
Among the thoughts that crowd your mind
There won't be many that ever really matter...
(The Only Child)
You could take that section as un-diluted pessimism but I think the author is just pointing out truth - there just isn't that much that we say or do day to day that is earth shattering! But that doesn't take away from life in my book...
So I find it hard to be a regular and consistent blogger.
I hope you won't hold it against me.
...Let the disappointments pass
Let the laughter fill your glass
Let your illusions last until they shatter.
Whatever you might hope to find
Among the thoughts that crowd your mind
There won't be many that ever really matter...
(The Only Child)
You could take that section as un-diluted pessimism but I think the author is just pointing out truth - there just isn't that much that we say or do day to day that is earth shattering! But that doesn't take away from life in my book...
So I find it hard to be a regular and consistent blogger.
I hope you won't hold it against me.
Friday, 21 September 2012
Would you like living with a person like this?
I don't get it. Half the world lives like this and I think it is crazy. This other half of the world has a certain religion. Any time some nut job criticizes them or in some other way offends their sensibilities they fly off in a rage and act out like bad behaving children. Only it is real! Deadly real!
You and I live in a world here in America where if someone says or does something you don't like... you deal with it and move on. We have grown a thick skin because we have learned that no matter what you do or what you say someone somewhere won't like it. We don't go off rioting and burning and pilaging and looting (usually) every time some insult (real or imagined) is hurled our direction. My advice to the rest of the world that lives like this? Get over it. Who would want to live in a world like that anyway? Toe the party line. Don't get caught speaking ill of the Grand Poobah! What an awful thing!
Of course, the tendency for us in the USA is to say "To hell with them!" Then we hear all about letting the rest of the world try to function without all the millions and millions of our hard earned dollars going to prop up those crazy regimes that turn and attack us every time they get offended. I know it would be bad policy but it sure would feel good!
If you don't agree with me, I won't be offended.
You and I live in a world here in America where if someone says or does something you don't like... you deal with it and move on. We have grown a thick skin because we have learned that no matter what you do or what you say someone somewhere won't like it. We don't go off rioting and burning and pilaging and looting (usually) every time some insult (real or imagined) is hurled our direction. My advice to the rest of the world that lives like this? Get over it. Who would want to live in a world like that anyway? Toe the party line. Don't get caught speaking ill of the Grand Poobah! What an awful thing!
Of course, the tendency for us in the USA is to say "To hell with them!" Then we hear all about letting the rest of the world try to function without all the millions and millions of our hard earned dollars going to prop up those crazy regimes that turn and attack us every time they get offended. I know it would be bad policy but it sure would feel good!
If you don't agree with me, I won't be offended.
Friday, 14 September 2012
The bluest skies you ever saw...
I love living in the Northwest but especially in the months of August and September. Those two months are usually rain free and often are clear blue skies and nice warm median temperatures. This year has not been an exception. We have enjoyed many consecutive days of blue. I like to look at it as building up the bank for those times when it rains twice a week... once for 3 days and once for 4.
Keep it up!
Keep it up!
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