Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Both a Blessing and a Curse


So, here's a pic of Chels and the little purple BarneyMobile Neon that she drives. The kids were on a 2 hour delay this morning due to the bitterly cold freezing temps, the high winds, and patchy-icy road conditions. Chels drives to school everyday and takes Linds with her. So, they leave around 8:55 a.m. and head off to school, after I had gotten her frozen car doors opened, started and warmed up the car, kissed them both goodbye, and warned Chels to be extra-cautious as the roads had patchy spots of ice on them. She gives the customary acknowledgement and... off they go to school.


Well, as most of you know, I am a Firefighter/EMT in our township which is both a blessing and a curse in knowing what tragic things are going on in the community, and... about 5 minutes after Chels and Linds had pulled out of the driveway, my pager goes off for a two vehicle auto accident at the intersection of Temperance and Jackman Roads with at least two victims. My pulse quickens and my mind starts racing... "didn't Linds tell me one time that they ALWAYS go up Temperance Road to go to school", "they didn't give any vehicle descriptions of the vehicles involved in the accident when they dispatched us, did they?!?", "how many victims did they say there were... two?!?", "Oh my gosh! What if this is Chels and Linds". My heart instantly is racing faster than it ever does even after the hardest of runs and uncontrollably so as adrenaline is pulsed throughout my body and my breaths are ever-increasing.


I snatch up wallet and cell phone in case I should need to call their mother from the scene, put my hat and coat on, and head to the garage to head to the fire station. It's like everything is in slow motion, my actions, the garage door going up, getting to the end of our road, the vehicle in front of me that won't get out of the way. Finally, I get to the station and bolt to my gear rack as I'm shouting to my house officer that Chels and Linds just left for school 5 minutes before this call came in and he shouts back that his son, Justin, had just left as well, and goes the same way to school. I snatch my gear off the rack as others are filing in and donning theirs' and heading to appartus to respond to this call. I jump aboard our rescue unit and gear up enroute to the scene.


As we approach the scene I'm nervously straining to see out of the windshield from the back of the rig and can see that it is not exactly at the intersection we were dispatched to, but a side street intersection west of it! No purple Neon! WHEW!!! I collect myself, thank God for sparing my girls and Justin, we arrive on scene, and I begin to attend to one of the victims pinned in her vehicle in the bitter cold with another firefighter, shifting my relieved concern from my own kids, to someone else's now.


Thanks, Lord, for protecting my girls this morning.


9 comments:

kathy said...

Thanks for the nice comments, you are too kind. I was so thankful your girls were not on scene this morning they are the first kids i thought of. On occasion i see them either in front of me or behind on my way to school. Lindi can chew next week and is very excited to do so :), she has been able to maintain her weight, as little as that is. Running inside today...way too cold :)

Zoomy said...

Yikes, I was on the edge of my seat reading this! I am so thankful your girls are OK! I also have a soft spot for purple cars, as we have a reliable little '97 Escort in the drive that is "boysenberry blue"...sort of a dark purple/blue. Good little beast, aka "Grimace."

So you guys had school on your side of the state? Everything's pretty shut-down over here.

Mar said...

Like Zoomy, I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened! Thank goodness they're ok..phew! I have a feeling I'm going to dread the day my children start driving:(

jessica said...

Yeah Rick- you could write suspense novels, Im still shaking since i had wait forever for the ending! Praise the Lord!!!

Anonymous said...

Hey Rick, yeah it can go both ways when your a public service guy, I know riding to the call was nerve wrecking, but GOD totally has it ALL under control, in these times and I know there will be more of them, try at all cost to lean on GOD....

No doubt you were upset today, If it was me I would have too. But these are the times when GOD commands that we focus on his word, its a tough thing to do, the best thing you can do in a situation like this is to know that GOD has EVERYTHING under control and not to get tensed, upset, nervous or anything else that might cause you to have a stroke... Keep the heart beat below 90.

_eric

Rick said...

Thanks, everyone.

Zoomy and Mar, Kathy is the one that got me started running. I think I warfed up a lung that first mile I ran... no jogged... no trotted... no slightly faster than walked, with her. She was very gracious and very patient and encouraging though. Thanks, Kath!

Tim Wilson said...

I have to say you had my heart rate pumping as well. I am glad it turned out OK, and I hope the others were not hurt to bad as well.

I am sure it is much worse for you given what you do, but I have a knot in my throat everytime my kids or wife go out..... and my kids are not even driving yet.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for thinking about us, dad. It was very icy and I was slidding around. Glad it wasn't us.


Chelse

Rick said...

I think about you all the time, Chels and... psst... it's probably not a good idea to tell me you were "sliding around" after I told you to be extra careful. ;-)

Although, I do appreciate the honesty.

Thanks for stopping in and leaving me a note!

Love you, honey!
Dad