Drops of Jupiter

Today's song, Drops of Jupiter.

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 HIT IT

  Coming up on the first of the year, all kinds of reflections. Got me to thinking, all of my certifications became due.  Funny coincidence (I DO NOT believe in coincidence!)  Everything expires on Jan 3 2018.  The same day I retire and walk away from the fire business.

  My 48th birthday I retire.  My 49th Birthday I become a Flight Medic.

  This song reminds me of my Niece Erin, because she has always had her head in the stars.  She can do anything she wants.  I like to think I taught her to be her own person, and take the world as it comes. And on Jan 3rd, 2018 I'm going to walk away.  From that day forward, look to the sky to see me!

  I'ts inspired me to be the best.  If you believe in yourself, don't be afraid to fly because you're scared to land.

  I'll see you Jan. 3rd!

BE THE ONE!

My friends,

  Now is the time.  In past blogs I've promised the "secret" to a better way of life, a better way of being, a better way of thinking.  A better version of YOU!

  I cannot wait to meet "future you!"

  This way of thinking has been going on for centuries, but not in the main stream.  We all get caught up in life, and making a living, taking care of our families.  This is the exact point I'm going to make, You can take care of your family, and still be up on this higher plane.  Nicola Tesla, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford!  They have all done this.  Look it up.

  I'm planning a seminar on my 45th birthday, Jan 3rd, 2015.  I want to share this way of thinking with you.  I hope you can be there, but rest assured as I stand in front of you, I'm scared!

  Scared is good!  Out of the comfort zone, which is the only way to learn something new.  And what a way to learn, by teaching others.  Whatever is going on in your life right now, we'll take it up a notch.  I'm a firefighter, so I'll show fellow firefighters all about the 360* bubble.  But that 360* bubble is all about life in general. It's called "Situational Awareness."

  This is SO simple! Yet SO complicated!  I'm going to tell you again, no matter who you are, what you are doing, you need to BE THE ONE!

You've seen me post time and time again, "BE THE ONE."   Its not easy. Its not something you just decide to do.  Its not something you do on a whim.

  Its a dedication.  A dedication to complete strangers.  A dedication to Citizens.  A dedication to fellow humans if you will.  A dedication to yourself.

  And now, I ask of you, a dedication to being a Warrior.  A dedication to me personally if that's what it takes.

  But what I'm really looking for is a dedication to yourself.  Its right in front of you!  Its time to "Be The One!"

Mad World

  PLEASE do me a favor on this blog.  As usual, I have a song tied to the blog.  But on this one, I want you to listen to this as you read.  I made the link open in a new window.  Less candy crush, more thinking.  Clicky Clicky ---->  MAD WORLD

  I've spent 24 years on a fire truck.  Planning retirement in 4 years, but I can't seem to get away from the chaos theory.  After this long, it becomes a way of life.  At first it was exciting!  Then a "job."  Now, I actually need it to function.  What am I gonna do after the Fire Service?  I can't deal with calm.  My retirement home has waves on a minute to minute basis, and an ever looming threat of a hurricane.

  Oh! EMS!  Good idea!

  All around me are familiar faces. Worn out places. Worn out faces.... Mad World.

  I love my less than a year old career on "my" ambulance,

  "Going nowhere. No expression"

  "I find it kind of funny.  I find it kind of sad.  It's a Mad World."

  "The Dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had."

Mad World.  It's a Mad World.

  The things I've seen, the things I've done.  I would never ask from you.

  But somehow after the black clouds part, and you see what you've done in some little way that has affected so many lives.  Then sometimes you don't get to part the black clouds, yet you still see how you have affected so many lives.  "No Tomorrow."

  Your soul and heart only have so much to give.  What I have learned to do, is to take those "No Tomorrow's" and turn it positive, and be the best that you can be, on YOUR tomorrow!  "No Tomorrow" yesterday, cannot bring you down today.  They are counting on you.

  Put yesterday behind you, they need you at your best.  They don't care about your Mad World, they care about theirs.  They're scared.

  Be confident.  Be safe.  Situational Awareness.  Take over like you OWN IT!

  They're looking at you for the day they feel good.

  It's a Mad World, and their looking at you!  Be The One!

Blinded By The Light

  Blinded By The Light

  I was fortunate enough to work with a Paramedic that I respect yesterday.  She is one of the Paramedics I wish to pattern myself after once I graduate Medic school.  Definitely out of my comfort zone, which I enjoy.

  She's going through some personal struggles, and I'm thankful I can help her, at least a little, with them because she is giving SO MUCH back to me by being a mentor.

  Our shift started out uneventful, and pretty much stayed that way with only 2 runs.  First one was a little old lady in a nursing home that had fallen and really hurt her tailbone.

  The second run was for a 93 y/o man that had fallen and whacked his head pretty hard.  He is on blood thinners, so this is serious before we even get there.  On scene, he's "ok" but needs to go to the ER.  Load him up, his wife asks if she can ride with us. Sure can!  A neighbor lady helps her into the front of the boo boo bus.  Help in the back for a few minutes, and check his pupils, pinpoint and non-reactive.  Do you have Glaucoma per chance?  Yes, I do.  I'm legally blind.  My mentor Medic and patient in back, I'm driving, 92 y/o wife in front with me, off we go to the hospital.  No lights or sirens.  I introduce myself, and explain what's going on in the back with her husband.  She seems worried, but assured.  Just another run, I was thinking to myself.  Yeah, right!

  En route to the ER we chat about this that and in between.  She tells me that they have lived in that same house since 1953, and were married in 1951. 67 years!  Mr. Patient was coming in from the garage, and tripped on the carpet.  "You know how us old people kind of shuffle our feet instead of picking them up to walk."  Yes, I sure do.  She also informs me that she too is legally blind.  Well, now that poses a problem for me.  Family members cannot go into the ER where we take the patients in.  The entrance for family is around the corner, about 300 feet or so.

  I shout into the back of the ambulance,
    "Lori? We OK?"
    "Yes Sir!"
    "Is he stable?"
    "Yeah, why?"
    "I have to make a quick stop if I can."
    "Go for it, they didn't trauma team him. We're good back here!"

  So once we get to the hospital, I stop at the family entrance and escort Mrs. Patient into the waiting room.  I tell her that once we get her husband in a room, I will come back out and get her.  Stop at the security desk, and let them know what's up.  Back to the bambulanze, and take Mr. Patient in through the other entrance.  Do our thing, get him admitted, and into a room.  Put my cot and ambulance back together, and go back to his room, Dr's and nurses are already taking care of him, so I patiently wait outside the door.  ER nurse comes out, "You need me?" Nope, just need to know when his wife can come back.  OH! She can come back now, we're all good.

  So I go through the ER to the waiting room, and as I get close to Mrs. Patient, I can see that she recognizes me, and she smiles and stands up.  "Your husband wants to see you."  "Can you help me?  This is a new place, and I can't see very well."  Are you kidding me?  ABSOLUTELY!  She takes my arm, and we walk through the ER towards her husband's room.  The ENTIRE ER smiles at us walking arm-in-arm. Family in the waiting room, other patients, doctors, nurses, EVERYONE.  That right there made my day!

  But then we get to the room....  I watched a blind man's eyes literally light up when he realized his wife of 67 years was there!

  She leaned over to give him a kiss and says "You need to learn to pick your feet up, Clumsy."
 

 

In The Evening

  This blog post is about being "The One", and actually more specifically becoming one with your craft, your career, your life.  Stop letting your brain talk you out of all things that are good and possible in your life because your brain thinks you "can't."  You don't have to listen to those thoughts you're having.  It's OK to tell your brain, thanks for the input, but I want to do this.

Listen to this real quick, or play it in the background as you read.

Led Zeppelin, In The Evening

  Now, I am probably 100% wrong, but I honestly believe that Jimmy Page "FU ( |< ed Up" at 3:44 into this song.  But, he is such a master at his craft, that he did it again at 4:02 and made it sound like music instead of a goof.

  I've talked to several musicians, and the good ones tell me the same thing.  That instrument is literally an extension of their body.  The guitar plays what their brain is thinking. Literally.  Talk about being a master of your craft!  Saw a documentary on Discovery Channel about Flea from Red Hot Chilli Peppers.  He was manipulating guitar strings in such a way, that he didn't even realize it until they played it in ultra slow motion! Why? Because his brain wanted that guitar to sound like that.

  My friends and I drag race. There is a similarity, the good ones actually become "one" with the machine, and the car is just an extension of their mind.  I tell people that I don't climb over the roll cage in my car, I put my car on like a pair of pantyhose.  Heightened sense of reality, situational awareness at it's best!

  How many of us are this in tune with our lives?  Our careers? Our craft? I certainly am not!  I "get IN" my fire truck, I "get IN" my ambulance.  I am fortunate enough to work with a Paramedic that takes me out of my comfort zone, yes he's THAT good!  I'm uncomfortable, but like I have said in previous posts, that's the ONLY way to learn and better yourself, get out of your comfort zone.

  Situational Awareness is an awesome thing.  Can you hear the crew above you working on the roof?  Do you hear the water turning into steam?  Are you aware of outside threats about to penetrate your bubble of safety?

  What if we took this level of awareness to our personal lives?  There is only one person in charge of your life, and what happens to you.  If you want to change your life, look in the mirror, it ALL starts with YOU.


  Let's put LIFE on like a pair of pantyhose.  It's an extension of your mind, and you are in charge!

BE THE ONE!!!

Safe & Sound

I've been saying there is positive in everything, and you get what you ask for.  I've learned this lesson time and time again.  I was angry, I "asked" for more anger.  Learned this lesson once again!  What an incredible story I have to share with those that want to read it.

Safe & Sound

 There's a running joke that I'm "The Black Cloud" at my fire station, and my recently new job with an ambulance company.  That doesn't come as just a joke, there really is a Black Cloud following me.  I get all the bad bad stuff, read my previous blogs.

  This has been a hard week on my old bones.  Literally 120 hours at work, away from my family. I brought my cloud with me.  Yesterday I was on the ambulance with a mentor.  I was angry, and complaining.  He wasn't.  I got to thinking.....

  Karma, or as I say God, doesn't send the difficult problems to the weak.  God sends the difficult situations to his Warriors.  I forgot that lesson this week.  Thanks to my Medic yesterday, and a structure fire on the way home, I re-learned this.

  Positive in EVERYTHING!  It's been a very long week. But I was reminded that we can never stop being "students". Life, Fire Service, EMS, whatever your career is, family. Never stop learning. Ever.

  Long week. Lessons learned.  I'm grateful I could help others, and I'm "Safe & Sound".

  I'm also GRATEFUL for my Black Cloud.

Wicked Tuna

 

 Some of you may have already seen my Facebook post about relating my patients to Bluefin Tuna.  If not, here it is:  

  "Picked up just under 3/4 of a ton of women at work yesterday. Welcome to EMS! On the bright side, if they were Blue Fin Tuna, I'd be $18,660 richer."

  First of all I would like to say, I meant ZERO disrespect to my patients!  This post was meant to be a humorous post to get a chuckle out of my FIRE/EMS friends, which they obviously did.  Hell, even a few of my 5OH friends chimed in, as did my "outer space" friends. (Outer Space meaning normal friends with normal jobs.)

  Secondly, I would NEVER compromise the safety and care of another human trusted to my care. EVER!  24 years ago I signed my name on a blank check payable to citizens I didn't know, and some I haven't met yet.  I promised on a bible to give them my BEST day on their WORST day.  And trust me, I've paid for that promise and blank check, oh how I have paid!  

  I'm not done paying.  I can walk away from all of this shit tomorrow and make more money.  But I'm not done.  My choice!

  So back to the story behind my FB post.  Did I think of my patients as a Blue Fin tuna? Absolutely not.  Did I formulate a plan to get them out of their current position and to the hospital, with THEIR safety and comfort in mind? You betcha!  Did I write a check, payable to a really sore back, for THEIR comfort and safety? YUP! This is someone's Mother, Sister, Wife.  Someone that is trusted in my care.

  Have you ever had a 3 minute old baby handed to you to "fix"?  

  I have!  What kind of trust does it take for a new mother to hand over her 3 minute old baby to a complete stranger?  That's an awesome responsibility my friends, and one that we need to be prepared for and not take lightly.

  Seems I started something with the "Tuna Cash" among my little community of friends and coworkers.  Its simply a "fun" way for us to get rid of stress.  Plain and simple.  Something to chat about while we wash the blood out of the back of the ambulance and try not to think about the family's that were just destroyed.  The family's that called us first.  The family's that had no other option.  The family's that hand you a 3 minute old baby, the family's that don't understand why Jimmy OD'd on Heroin.  Something to chat about at 0300 HRS when sleep isn't gonna happen.  Something to think about when we drag our asses out of bed at 0430 HRS to go to work to help others.  TO HELP OTHERS.

  Those family's called YOU to fix this!  

  Find your own "Tuna Cash" way to get rid of the stress, or jump on board.  Don't judge.  Don't assume. Don't ever disrespect the tradition laid down by those that came before you!

 Be professional.  Be nice.  Be understanding.

 "BE THE ONE!"