I can't seem to get my mind off fire these days. It may be due to the exposure living here in Southern California and the severe brush fire season we have been having, or it could be a side effect of surviving a recession. You know..., trial by fire, forged by fire, fueled by fire. When we are tested or challenged, we come to see who the real survivors are, who the real friends are, and who the real people are - those that mean what they say and say what they mean, say what they'll do and do what they say.

I have a friend who lives in Nebraska. His name is Ray and he lives a normal, quiet life, working hard to support a growing family that is rapidly entering adulthood which means college tuition, cars, insurance, and more. Ray started his work life as a police officer and had a turn at firefighting. He has since left law enforcement, as well as firefighting, but those days left an indelible mark on him. One incident has been etched in his memory forever...

He had been called to a fire, one of his first, and was the second line into a burning building. He had never entered a burning building before - the heat was so intense and the men had to literally crawl into the building, blindly. Visibility was minimal and debris was falling everywhere. His natural instinct, his survivor instinct, was telling him to get out of that building and fast. The fire was above and all around them; they worked cohesively to knock it down, but the heat grew too great for Ray, as he was wearing a bullet proof vest under his bunker gear. He ran out, stripped off his gear, removed the vest, put his gear back on and returned to the flames as quickly as he possible, for now the fire wasn't the only thing raging, "I was pissed at that fire..."

His team was able to control that fire, putting it out but they were left completely exhausted, as must be expected. Ray's face was burned where skin had been exposed. When he returned to the building the next day, he noted the devastation, there was nothing left inside. If it hadn't been for his burns, he would never have believed he had been in that building. It was a remarkable experience in every way. It changed who he was, it altered his outlook and removed any doubt that maybe this wasn't the career for him.

I have dusted myself off so many times that the only thing left to do is keep dusting. And stand up straight. Forged by fire.



by rayannethorn


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