This has been quite the week, and I have something to say. That something is simply “thank you”.
On my last business trip my Boss and I got into a conversation about service men and woman and first responders. They all have a job where they put the life of someone else besides themselves first. For the service men and women, they will risk their lives for their fellow service people. For first responders they rick their lives for people they don’t even know. We were speaking in the context of the horrible number of drownings and near drownings we have had in Hawaii so far this year. How hard must that be? To no think of yourself and your family and your friends and just put your own life and safety on the line time after time, and day after day. I think it takes a very special type of person, and a very special understanding type of family.
This week, we had a bombing and manhunt in Boston. If you look through the horrific images you will see people running away from the blasts, and people running toward the blasts. Those are the people I want you to think about. What would your response to a blast be? To run towards it!? I know personally mine would be to run away. Those first responders I KNOW saved lives. I know they also risked their own in the process. I also spent Thursday night and much of Friday watching and tracking the man hunt. I was listening to the police scanner while I was at work, and through all the chatter related to the movements I heard some very uplifting things. There was at one point a call for all officers out over 18 hrs to report in for relief. Some of them had been on post for 18, 19 even 20 hrs. That is an amazing statement. To stay on your post for 20 hrs. The men and women in Boston and in fact all law enforcement deserve our deep thanks. They saved lives, worked unhuman hours and even (if you believe reddit) went out and got milk for a small child that was under lock down. Amazing humans every one!
This week there was also an explosion in West Texas. This one makes me very sad. From what I gather from the news, this community has a volunteer only fire department. When a fire was reported at the fertilizer plant, many volunteers rushed in to try and put it out. From what I have heard, many of those volunteers also lost their lives. The majority of deaths in this event were the first responders. They also ran towards the blast, to help others and lost their lives in the process. This community deserves our support, and again we owe a great deal of thanks to the first responders.
This week has also made me think back on the stories my friends told me about their deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan and the simple heroics that they may not have even recognized. And again, I am humbled and thankful.
So this week let us all take some time (in our own time) and in our own way, to thank all those who put their lives on the line for others. To all the fire men and women, Police, EMTs, Lifeguards, Military personnel, security officers, all first responders, and civilians who run towards the blasts. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART! And a second and equally heart felt THANK YOU to all the family and friends of these amazing people, you will always have my support and thanks!
On a final note, this week I was reminded of this episode of the moth: NYPD Cop Recalls Morning of 9/11
When I first heard it all I could think was “how come he didn’t think of his wife!?” but in reality, if he did, he wouldn’t have been able to do his job. It is a powerful reminder of what these amazing people do.
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