Are You Making a Difference?

     (Originally written August 2019)

I attended my last fire service conference this last week. Great time with friends and for reflection. Learned a little bit about me and let a little bit of my career go. Ok, a lot. 

Watched some great people make some great presentations with some really valuable information.  Some of it I wished I had earlier in my career.  Woulda been helpful.  But I figured it out.  

Friday, over an average breakfast, I really realized what matters.  It doesn’t matter how many bugles you have, stripes or crosses on your sleeve. It doesn’t  matter how big your department is or how many fires you been on. Regardless of who you are, there is one better: more years, bigger/more fires, higher ranking, more heroic. What matters is that you made a difference in the life of somebody around you or someone you came in contact with.  I heard a lady at Starbucks once say “I don’t need to make a big difference, I need to make a small difference every day.”  Has stuck with me vividly since the day I heard it almost 4 years ago. 

I had a picture in my front entry of our last home that said “It doesn’t matter how big your house is or how much money you have in the bank, but that you made a difference in the life of a child.”  Simple. MOST importantly is that you make a difference in the life of a child, but it can be said about all people.  Make a difference. 

Last week, I welcomed my last group of recruits into the fire service. I talked to them about my past, about commitment, about the fact I have had a list of expectations of those I worked with since the mid to late 90s. A couple pages. I then told them that I thought maybe I failed or missed the mark.  I realized a couple weeks ago that my fire service expectations should have been shorter maybe. Maybe these 2 points: “Show Up, Be Nice.”  I told them, “If you can’t do number 2, please don’t do number 1.”  

As I get ready to leave the fire service, I’ve been a little nervous about what my purpose will be.  I believe in living a purpose filled life. This week, it ALL came together.  I found my next purpose.  And it came back to my expectation discussion with the recruits last week.   To make a difference in people’s lives. Not big differences, but a small difference every day.  Simple. Here’s my new purpose: “Show Up , Be Nice.”  

I promise to do my best to live this purpose to the best of my ability until a new purpose becomes more clear.  If you see me out of bounds, please bounce me back in.  That will make a difference in my life.  ❤️