I'm often asked: Why did you want to be a firefighter? What was your goal?
This excerpt from Chapter 19 of my memoir is a glimpse into how taking on a firefighter job went from 'wanting to do something different' to a formal career choice.
If you've not read my book, I hope this passage is intriguing enough to give it a try!
(I've just returned to Florida (Flor-ee-da) Ranger Station after spending two weeks on a 55,000 acre fire.)
Like a loyal friend, Florida Station had waited for my return. Tomorrow would be my last day here. I reported to work in the morning, turning in my gear, key, and driver’s license. Glenn allowed me to clean up my quarters and pack on government time.
On departure day, I simultaneously wanted to go home and not go home. I missed my mom so much my heart ached; but I sensed that Florida wanted me to stay. Joe did, too.
After stashing the last box into my car Skyer, I turned toward the government truck pulling in behind me. Glenn. My breath hitched. Get a grip. I cared for him more than I knew was right. He stood before me, his thumbs hooked through the belt loops of his Levi’s, his cowboy boots shuffling in the dirt. He gazed at me from under the brim of his ever-present Stetson. That always got to me.
In his slow and deep voice, he said, “I want you to know that I think you did a real good job in Northern California on a tough assignment.”
My heart somersaulted. From a man who said little, that simple sentence touched deep into my soul. He was proud of me. Not sure what to say or do, all I managed was, “Thanks.” But I also stood there waiting for him to give me some kind of sign…that what happened in that motel meant more to him than just sex. It was not there. I desperately wanted to hug him, but feared he would not hug me back, or worse, back off. Driving away I checked my rearview mirror to see if he watched me leave. He did.
In Prescott, I rushed to enroll in forestry-related classes at Yavapai College, which I hoped would advance my new career. Despite the aching in my legs from hiking up and down all of those hills on the Klamath, I had a lightness in my step. There were so many challenges last summer: brutal long hours, backbreaking work, intense heat, danger, smoke inhalation, bad food, and no sleep for days on end. Why did I put up with it? Because this job made me feel important; it gave me a purpose in life. Plus, if I could handle those grueling conditions, I could do anything; and what I wanted more than anything was a permanent Forest Service position.