Duty There is a sense of purpose behind this work. Choosing a career in public service is about contributing to something bigger than yourself; it is actively prioritizing the needs of others above your own. Along with the selfless nature of the job, another component is discomfort. More often times than not you’ll be drenched … Continue reading Duty, Respect, Integrity.
The Wildland Firefighter’s Ethos: Part 3
A Three-Part Blog Series supported by: The American Wildfire Experience 2019 Micro-Grant Award Part Three- Integrity. It is the third and final segment to our fire ethos triangle and it’s also the most crucial. Integrity is the foundation upon which we build our camaraderie and without camaraderie the “fire family” of which we are all … Continue reading The Wildland Firefighter’s Ethos: Part 3
The Wildland Firefighter’s Ethos: Part 2
A Three-Part Blog Series supported by: The American Wildfire Experience 2019 Micro-Grant Award Part Two- Respect. On paper, everyone must give respect to their fellow co-workers. That sounds swell, but “on paper” is not where we fight fire. There is an unspoken rule amongst the ranks of the Wildland Firefighting community; everyone must earn their … Continue reading The Wildland Firefighter’s Ethos: Part 2
The Wildland Firefighter’s Ethos: Part 1
A Three-Part Blog Series supported by: The American Wildfire Experience 2019 Micro-Grant Award Part One- Duty. There is a sense of purpose behind this work. Choosing a career in public service is about contributing to something bigger than yourself; it is actively prioritizing the needs of others above your own. Along with the selfless … Continue reading The Wildland Firefighter’s Ethos: Part 1
Buoyancy
In this world, far more things are possible than not. Altruism resides in everyone, whether or not they act on it. I could step out the front door and have the best day of my life. The most valuable commodity is time, where and how you invest matters. The most fun I’ve had in … Continue reading Buoyancy
In Search of, “The Words”
Sometimes a situation in life sends you searching for “the words” but they don’t always come when you need them. This is true for me right now, in this moment. So here are some words, which are long lost cousins of “the words” that I can’t seem to locate, bear with me. I’ve been unbelievably … Continue reading In Search of, “The Words”
Me and What Army?
Life as I Know It: 0730: Wake Up (how is this is sleeping in now?) and make French toast for breakfast. Happy Sunday! 0745: Wake the kiddo 0815: Clean up from breakfast, run the dishwasher and get ready to exercise 0845: Take the kiddo jogging in the stroller 0930: Shower (for both of us) and … Continue reading Me and What Army?
Underbelly
With exploration of the unknown come blunders and missteps. The other side of adventuring is adversity. Living nomadically also means living with insane logistics. When you don’t know where you’re going, you don’t know where you’re going. Things will work out when you work to work them out. If you’ve got 1,000 balls in the … Continue reading Underbelly
Furlough with a Capital F.
This furlough is all fun and games until wildfires start kicking up and communities are insufficiently protected because firefighters are stuck waiting for human resources to process their paperwork.
A Christmas Miracle
The plan was to spend a couple of days in Chicago exploring which is technically what happened, but it’s the other things that also happened which make this story worth telling. Amazingly we somehow drove into Chicago hitting no traffic whatsoever, which gave us more time to grumble about the number of tolls you are forced to pay … Continue reading A Christmas Miracle
