Brothers and Sisters of Flame

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The greens were fading to beautiful reds and yellows, signaling Autumn was on the way. As a kid, it was always my favorite time of year. Cool evenings spent around the firepit, horror movie marathons, everything and anything pumpkin flavored. It reminded me of home and it brought me comfort.

I grew up on a farm. The springs were busy and the summers were long and hot. Fall always brought with it a nice respite. When I was little I would ride the tractors to the pumpkin patches and help load the wagon full. One of my favorite moments every year was when we would gather up all the leaves for compost. Before getting rid of them me and the other children who lived on the farm would spend hours diving into the fiery pile. Afterward we would play outside until the cold would creep in.

My first real life lesson happened in the fall. I was a teenager. My friends and I were smoking in the barn when we accidentally caught a hay-bail on fire. We tried to put it out but it only got worse. Before the fire was extinguished it destroyed everything. We almost lost our house that season because of it. Our farm made half of the money it normally would have because of all the dead livestock.

I felt guilty, so I did my best to make up for it. I started running groceries around town for people who were too busy or couldn’t get what they needed. I mowed lawns and washed cars… it still wasn’t enough for my father to forgive me or to make up for the lost income.

As I got older, I began searching for my place in the world. I didn’t quite fit in one particular group. I made a lot of friends but never really had an inner circle. I slept around but never really attached myself to a romantic partner. I was pretty much a lone wolf. That’s why I was surprised when I found my passion for team sports. I hated the jock mentality of it, but the rush during performance time and the teamwork it took to win way outweighed the worst of it.

Eventually my interest in team sports led to interests in other hobbies. I auditioned for my high school musical sophomore year and got a background part. The environment was wonderful. I finally found some weirdos to belong to… a place to let my freak flag fly. Plus, it got me interested in singing lessons and it turns out I have a beautiful voice. By junior year I was playing a lead. I got involved with the local swim team and started ballroom dancing. That was a huge hit with the ladies. I got into skateboarding for a bit but injured myself shortly after and gave up. I visited a few car shows here or there and played some tabletop games at the local comic shop. I changed from lone wolf to social butterfly but, no matter what, I still floundered.

Still looking for my place in the world, my anxiety turned up a notch senior year. The end of highschool and I didn’t have a plan. The family couldn’t afford college and I didn’t want to work on the farm for the rest of my life… what was left? My mother and father were hounding me at home, so I spent my days out and about for as long as I could. Even my friends were beginning to question what my life plans were. I couldn’t go anywhere without it being brought up. I understand, people are worried, but give me a break.

I was considering the military when my friend introduced me to the Junior Firefighter Recruitment Program. The program allowed the department to train high schoolers before graduation. A way to garner interest and to advance the recruiting process for the department. I was skeptical at first, but after the first week of training was instantly hooked.

My training group became close friends. We worked out together, learned together, went through our first live courses together. We partied together and caused a little chaos. We had our teen drama but we always forgave each other and we always stayed close. We felt safe with one another. We inspired each other. We cried with each other. We sang songs together and we fell in love together. We traveled through the flames together and forged a bond as brothers and sisters.

As we grew up we also grew apart, as naturally happens. Some of us moved away to big cities. Some of us died. Some of us found families and settled down into a more comfortable life. Me… I could never let it go.

People always ask how I do it. They wonder how I can willingly put my life in danger fighting fires. I tell them that saving lives is worth the risk. That’s the simple answer. The complicated answer? It brings me comfort to be among the flames. It reminds me of the days I would jump into a pile of crisp autumn leaves, the nights spent around the firepit, the pumpkin flavored everything. It reminds me of home. It reminds me of camaraderie. Time spent with the ones closest to my heart; Of my brothers and sisters.

My alarm rings. Rest time is over. I grab my gear. Adrenaline begins to rush as my heart picks up its pace. The smell of smoke is thick and the sky is dark. I arrive back on the scene. By the time I step outside, the leaves are on fire.

Note from the author: Climate change is real and it is one of the biggest threats to our current world and our future. Taking these risks seriously and progressing toward a better planet with less pollution and lower carbon emissions is a possibility. All we need to do is try. In turn we can save millions of human lives and billions of animal lives. Please spread knowledge wherever you can and look into how you can help the planet. With love. Michael.