Creation of the Firefighter
When the Lord was creating Firefighters, he was into his sixth day
of overtime when an angel appeared and said, "You're doing a lot of
fiddling around on this one".
And the Lord said, "Have you read the specifications on this person?
Firefighters have to be able to go for hours fighting fires or tending
to a person that the usual every day person would never touch, while
putting in the back of their mind the circumstances. They have to be
able to move at a second's notice and not think twice of what they are
about to do, no matter what the danger. They have to be in top physical
condition at all times, running on half-eaten meals, and they must have
six pairs of hands."
The angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pair of hands...no way."
"It's not the hands that are causing me problems", said the Lord, "It's
the three pairs of eyes Firefighters need to have."
"That's on a standard model?" Asked the angel.
The Lord nodded. "One pair that sees through the fire and where they
and their fellow Firefighters should fight the fire next. Another pair
here in the side of the head to see their fellow Firefighter and keep
them safe. And another pair of eyes in the front so that they can look
for victims caught in the fire that need their help."
"Lord", said the angel, touching his sleeve, "Rest and work on this
tomorrow."
"I can't", said the Lord, "I already have a model that can carry a
250 pound man down a flight of stairs and to safety from a burning
building, and can feed a family of five on a civil service paycheck."
The angel circled the model of the Firefighter very slowly, "Can it think?"
"You bet", said the Lord. "It can tell you the elements of a hundred fires;
and can recite procedures in their sleep that are needed to care for a person
until they reach the hospital. And all the while they have to keep their
wits about themselves. This Firefighter also has a phenomenal personal
control. They can deal with a scene full of pain and hurt, coaxing a child's
mother into letting go of the child so that they can care for the child in
need. And still they rarely get the recognition for a job well done from
anybody, other than from fellow Firefighters."
Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the
Firefighter. "There's a leak", she pronounced. "Lord, it's a tear."
"What is the tear for?" asked the angel.
"It's a tear from bottled up emotions for fallen comrades. A tear for
commitment to that funny piece of cloth called the American Flag. It's a
tear for all the pain and suffering they have encountered. And it's a
tear for their commitment to caring for and saving lives of their fellow
man!"
"What a wonderful feature Lord, you're a genius", said the angel.
The Lord looked somber and said, "I didn't put it there."
-author unknown
