Introduction: I wanted a last call as the hour of my retirement from the fire department came near. It had been a snowy winter day but no calls came. Hope was fading fast but suddenly the pager tones went off. The Last Call It was late in the 11th hour of my career as a firefighter. After more than 26 …
A Story To Live By
Introduction: This story was written by Ann Wells and came into my life when I was a member of a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing team in the 1990s. The CISD team helped firefighters, EMTs, law enforcement, dispatchers, and other emergency services people deal with the psychological trauma we experienced in our work. Serving on this team was a most satisfying experience. …
Goose Sense
Introduction: Humans can learn a lot of things from the animals God created to inhabit this earth if we would just pause to watch and study them. This story came into my life when I was part of a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing team. The team helped emergency services people to deal with the psychological trauma that is part of …
Chapter 32-Rocks In My Pocket
Introduction: I carry two rocks in my pocket. Both remind me to trust in the things of God and not in the things of this world. This story is an example of the old adage, “When the student is ready the teacher arrives.” These rocks are in my pocket as the result of a series of events and a single sermon that …
Out To Lunch
Introduction: This is a story of how two peons made a decision management could not make. The decision resulted in a forty plus year tradition and friendship and nobody had to beg forgiveness. Out To Lunch The agony for department heads was National Secretaries Day. That day of recognition for the girls that keep the office humming was created in …
I Dropped A Rock
Introduction: I was young when I became inquisitive and that led to my experimentation with explosives. My experimentation continued off and on until my high school years. All of this activity also required creativity in developing excuses. I also became better acquainted with medical treatments. This is the story of my first adventure with explosives. I Dropped a Rock In …
The Weed Wars
Introduction: Walking beans and pulling weeds was part of life on an Iowa farm. It wasn’t a fun time but my brother and I had our diversions. Those diversions weren’t supported by our father and he earned every gray hair in his head. The story also looks at the difference between a farmer’s kids walking beans and his grandkids walking beans. …
The Bucket
The outside of the bucket was a dull and faded yellow. The cracked paint made it look old and crusty. The inside was clean as a whistle. It hung on two nails in the wash house on the farm where I grew up. Sixty years later it’s a memory of who I am and where I came from. I was …