I'm a life-long Chicagoan, life-long South-sider, and a life-long Cub
fan. I come from a family of Paramedics. When I was a little kid, I
thought that being a Paramedic was the coolest thing one could possibly
do with one's life, because my Dad was the coolest person I knew and
that was what HE did. Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought it
was pretty cool. My sister and brother are also Paramedics, along with
numerous other members of my extended family.
Dad used to tell stories around the dinner table that would have us
rolling on the floor in laughter. If you could get my dad and my uncles,
also Paramedics, into the same room together, they'd play off of one
another like the most experienced comedy trio you've ever seen. They
worked together in the early days of EMS in Northern Illinois. They saw a
lot of things.
As I got older, the funnier stories were gradually interspersed with the
more serious ones. Once I had reached adulthood, I had spent many a
night running errands with my father, who by then had moved into
administration, him relating war stories from his "time on the street"
that focused less on the humorous and more on the deadly serious while I
listened in rapt fascination. I don't think Dad was trying to scare me
or anything, he just seemed to know that it was appropriate for him to
begin sharing the bad along with the good.
Although I had wanted to follow in my father's footsteps since
kindergarten, I somehow found myself toiling in the aviation industry
for nine years, having brainwashed myself into believing I was happy as a
baggage handler. My wife helped me realize just how miserable I was,
and with her support, I made my way into EMS. I hope I can be as good of
a Paramedic as my sister, brother, and father are. They're my
inspiration.
Now it's my turn to share some stories, but as my wife has no particular
tolerance for the blood and gore and guts, and my siblings and father
have seen it all, and the only kids I have have four legs and eat out of
bowls on the floor, I have decided to make my way into blogging. I've
been inspired to do so by reading the works of Kelly Grayson,, Justin Schorr (The Happy Medic), Michael Morse (Rescuing Providence), Tom Bouthillet (EMS 12-Lead), Captain Chair Confessions, Rogue Medic,
and others. I don't know why I'm identifying each of them so formally.
Chances are great that if you're reading this, it's because you read
those blogs already. I hope I can live up to their standard, as they've
set the bar awfully high.
I hope you'll enjoy what you read here.
Saw your comment on Captain Chair Confessions and clicked over. It really is different names, same stuff. Looking forward to following your future posts.
ReplyDeleteStay Safe.