I know, this was about ten years ago at a time when I still felt that I was invincible. I didn't take it seriously, until I had a “probationary” (beginning fire fighter) on an overtime day. We were talking and he told me that his dad who was the same age as me had just died from peritonitis from a ruptured appendix. Despite what my wife and the doctors and the nurses told me about the seriousness of my problem I didn't really take them seriously until talking to the young probationary firefighter.
Over the years I have had a lot of dangerous past times and much more than my share of close calls. Early death from traumatic injuries related to dangerous occupations and hobbies among male relatives has been an issue in my family. I think that the common sense part of our brains that helps keep others safe takes longer than normal to develop. I remember standing at the edge of a cliff with a hang glider strapped to my back, thick clouds kept forming at the launch site so I couldn't see a thing, but I got impatient and jumped anyway. It was like a dream as I dropped for what seemed like a long time until my wing got up to flying speed and I popped out of the cloud just above tall fir trees. It was stupid but I didn't feel afraid or even much of a thrill. I am old enough now that I now realize that life is precious and it is stupid to take crazy chances especially for nothing.
As many of my male relatives have gone into the Military as long as I can remember I can understand that. It’s what drives men and some women into Law, Fire and EMT work. I’ve never had the ability or size to be that athletic.
While I won’t say I’m a dare devil, I’m very vocal, had to learn to be, it took years and asking God to cure the natural shyness that tied my tongue. But when you have a child murdered you want justice, and there was no one but me to see he got what I could eke out of the Injustice System. So I learned to research, and speak out. And join protest for Victims Rights. As a result Tenn. is one of the few states that has Constitutional Rights not just Statutory Rights for Crime Victims. And the perp served every day I could fight for in prison until he maxed out his ‘good behavior time’. The powers that be were not happy with me. It’s spilled over into fighting a State Income Tax and then into the federal level.
Now I’m 68, have multiple health issues that are not curable or fixable than leave me with just the computer to do what I once did in person.
We are both older and hopefully wiser. And above all blessed by GOD.