Babear

In my effort to avoid Facebook... I came across this gem:

Simply surfing the still depressing NYTimes, I saw this picture... and practically started salivating. (Is that a normal response to see someone in an uncomfortably bulky white suit, lemon yellow boots and latex gloves? latex gloves!!) Alllso, can we just appreciate that first sentence? #soproud #unintentional

I would seriously look forward to the days when Ampe would yell, "Noops, Alex, let's go!" and I would be left in the dust while scrambling to load up on safety gear: steal toed boots, my latex gloves, eye goggles and boom. - running, yelling for my fellow intern as we sprint down the hall, trying to figure out where in the world Ampe just went and where the latest incident might have been. 

Now. I fully understand that I'm not using a picture of a yeast spill on the roof... or some chemical spill by the tanker... This picture is of the individuals searching for bomb remnants from Tuesday's attack. There is still human blood dried onto the concrete sidewalk. Echos of screams have yet to dissipate from the air and there still exists fear, pain and loss. Therefore, drooling is probably the incorrect response.

However, the patients are in hospital care, and now it's time for each agency to do it's duty. It just so happens that this job, this part of any emergency response, an integral part of this process, that's what excites me about life, inspires me to continue applying, continue reaching out to the world... continuing hoping for my professional future. Because one day, I want to do that. 

When I love something, it giggles from the tips of my fingers and my eyes glow. I can barely keep the pep out of my step while jumping for joy in an bubbling excitement and desire to share. The smile on my face is the widest it gets, my teeth on display, stifled bursts of laughing disbelief that I'm actually doing something this cool... 

That's how I feel in a suit (which by the way, just adds to the ludicrousness of it all), investigating a problem. That's how I felt cleaning up that accidental hazardous spill at NBB. This is really happening! 

I expect that's a normal response when a journey that began with an accidental book choice more than 10 years ago is finally seeing the fruits of hard labor, ups and downs with belief, and plenty of patience.