That I have been a Volunteer Firefighter…..
For almost eight years now….
In that time, I have seen “moderate” amounts….
Of tragedy, destruction, personal injury, or loss of life…..
I have been a Lieutenant and Captain on various trucks….
I was Company Secretary for a number of years…..
But NOTHING could have prepared me…..
For what I am about to tell YOU…….
In the Spring of 2004, our Fire Company received…..
A check for 20 thousand dollars from a local widow…..
We were asked to use it wisely……
I suggested during a Business Meeting…..
”We need NEW Dress Uniforms……”
“Our old ones look like old Greyhound bus driver’s uniforms….”
“And the blue shirts purchased over time, do not match!!!”
Well….when YOU suggest, you usually end up…..
Heading up that committee!!
The uniforms we decided on cost a little over $400…..
Per firefighter……with approximately 20 interested……
We LOOKED sharp……still do!!
The committee decided to get “nameplates”…..
For every firefighter……
With or without ordering a uniform!!
At the October Business Meeting, they had arrived……
I was handing them out to people, before the meeting…..
I handed one to one man, his first name is Eric…..
He looked at it and asked me….
”What’s this for??”
I explained what it was for…..he handed it back saying…..
“You can keep it, I won’t need it after tomorrow!!”
”Ohhhh, okay!”, I said and went down the table to the next man….
A few minutes later, I heard another firefighter say……
”That was odd, Eric kissed me on the cheek and said ‘Good-bye’!”
OH MY GOD!!
It HIT me….finally, on what Eric said to me…..
I literally dropped what I was doing and headed for the door…..
I looked across the parking lot……
His car was on the other side…..
He was sitting in it…..
I headed straight for it….
After a little small talk, he asked me to sit in the car with him!!
Eric worked for a LARGE International Company…..
His building, his position, and his job
Were being eliminated at the end of the month…..
Unfortunately, Eric is a BIG man with a short fuse…..
One day, he got into a discussion with his Manager….
Such to the degree, Security walked him out….
And the local Police were outside to help, if needed!!
Because of this discussion, Eric was just terminated….
On this day that I was talking with him!!!
He was told, NOW, he lost the package he would’ve gotten….
At the end of the month!!
No severance pay….
No vacation pay….
No Health coverage…..
Eric had custody of his two kids…..
”Jason, what the HELL can I do NOW???”
“I gotta take care of my kids!!!”
A moment later, an Assistant Chief walked up to the car…..
”We cannot have a meeting without a Secretary??” he said…..
I asked him to talk to Eric…..
Before I got out of the car, I grapsed Eric’s hand and said….
”Go HOME!!! After the meeting, a bunch of US will be up…..”
“We’ll take you out drinking, if you want to, AND……..”
“DON’T DO ANYTHING STUPID!!!!!”
I went into the meeting, which had started….
Ten minutes later, the Assistant Chief walked in and sat down…..
He was as obviously shaken by talking with Eric…..
About as much as I was!!!
Five minutes later, the tones tripped and siren wailed…..
For our neighboring Fire Department……
It was an MVA……Motor Vehicle Accident……
The Assistant Chief and I just looked at each other……
”Please GOD…….NO!!! was going through my head…..
Our tones tripped…..our siren went off…..
To assist at the MVA by blocking off the closest intersection…..
Three men left in our pick-up truck to do so…..
Five minutes later, our Chief was called to the scene……
Cell phones were buzzing…..
Calling ”connections” in the neighboring Fire department…..
Or even in the Ambulance Corp……
NOBODY would tell US, who was involved…..
BUT…..it was a ”Code 12”……fatal…..
We buzzed through the meeting…..
We WANTED to know if it was Eric……
At the end of the meeting, as the Secretary…..
I have to read the minutes I have written…..
For any corrections or ”approval as written”…..
I was flying through reading them….
The Chief returned to the building…..
Visibly shaken…….
”The meeting is ‘Suspended’…..” came the command…..
”Eric Hodge was fatally injured in that MVA!!!”
Men….grown men……cried……
They hugged each other…..
And cried some more…….
LOST was a friend…..
A Comrade, fellow firefighter…..
A Buddie……
And a ”Dad”!!!!
The Assistant Chief, the firefighter that got “kissed”, and I……
Went to the scene……to give our statements…..
To the Investigator there…..
To give them an idea of his state of mind beforehand…..
Weeks later, somebody told ME…..
”He committed ‘Suicide’!!”
I corrected them and said…..”No way!!!”
“People that commit suicide, don’t ‘buckle up’!!”
Eric was buckled!!
”What He did was an ‘act of stupidity’, I said……
”He was driving too fast and lost control on a curve!!”
We had a GREAT TIME with his funeral procession!!!
I arranged other Departments to join us…..
We had a mile long procession…..
With 16 pieces of equipment…..
From TEN different Departments!!!
His family told us……
”Lights and sirens are NOT an OPTION!!!”
“They ARE a REQUIREMENT!!!!”
(I’ll try to get the DVD uploaded to YouTube, soon)
Okay….so WHY am I telling YOU this????
Why am I making YOU reach for a Kleenex, right now???
(trust me…..MY EYES are moist right now too!!!)
We ALL have watched this economy SLAM into the sewer…..
In recent years, and Eric died SIX years ago……
PEOPLE are HURTING…….
PEOPLE are DUMBSTRUCK……
PEOPLE have NO IDEA what to do…..
If their J-O-B comes to a ”Screeching HALT” tomorrow…..
Soooooooo…..why are YOU sitting on your hands????
People need to hear what YOU have……
Or what YOU have learned…..
Is it for EVERYBODY you talk to????
HELL NO!!!!
But…..do YOU want to know something????
There sure are A LOT of Eric’s out there……
People that are so close to the end of their ropes…..
That they use the end of that rope…..
And tie it into a noose!!!!
I would rather see YOU waiting for them at the end…..
Oh HELL…….YOU should be A LOT higher on their rope…..
They don’t need a ”Get Rich Quick” Guru……
They NEED a friend……
A Teacher……
A ”Good Learner”……
A ”Good News Merchant”……
A ”Preacher of Plenty”……
A ”Can Do Artist”……
Could that be YOU??????
The Great Franco Gonzalez reminded ME of this yesterday……
Schroederism 75: “There are only two kinds of people…..”
“Those who are pulling ME forward…..”
“And those who are pushing ME back!!!”
Find yourself an Eric……
Help pull him through what he is going through!!!!
Are YOU not quite there YET???
Care to find a place that can help YOU…..
And every Eric……
”Change Your Mind…..”
“Change Your Income……”
“Change Your LIFE!!!”
Walk with ME over to my favorite Community…..
Over at The Million Mind March
Open to the Public Calls every Monday night at 9:27pm, eastern….
641-594-7000, passcode 600088#
Various Member’s Only Training calls throughout the week…..
Sometimes lasting two to three hours long!!
Or check out this 24/7 recording….
800-772-9781, ext 10 and 40
Stop by and have a visit with US…..
I’ll be there too…..
Helping another Eric……
I AM……..JASON NAGEL
This notes is available in HARDCOPY……
Email me at JasonWrites@aweber.com
Call or text: 585-202-3333
My Blog: www.TheManGiant.com
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