Corpus Vigiles

I remember how I first became interested.

It was twice that I had driven by and consciously looked into the huge bay doors. "Why do they keep the driver side doors on the trucks open?" A nagging question. The third time past on my way back home it hit me. Leaving the doors on the trucks open takes a couple seconds off the response time. It's why you leave the zipper to your turnout coat zipped so you can slip it over your head like a sweater. It's why you leave your bunker pants tucked into your boots when you take them all off. All these seconds add up and could mean the difference between life and death. A little light went on inside my spirit and I thought, "to be part of a group of people so noble..." The next week I enrolled in my class with Ed.

I went by today and talked to the Lt. of my shift and I can still hardly believe it. We stood in the garage and it smelled like diesel fuel and leather, tools. "We'll get you through training as soon as we can. We need more people who can respond from a location in Oberlin. We're really excited to have you start."

I feel like I can finally stand next to the rest of my family. I know that they will accept me for anything that I choose in life, but I feel that finally I have tapped into the spirit of duty and service that runs so deep within all of our veins. I thank the gods that I was born a Jindra. Strength, duty, honor. Forever.