"Reflections of a Fire Captain"

by Ross

Captain Hank Stanley was deep in contemplation

When raised voices from the parking bay told him Gage and Kelly were at it—again!

Shee-eesh! Was he running a Day Care Center?…Or a Fire Station?

Both, he supposed, as boys will be boys…and men will be men.

It never ceased to amaze him that

One minute, his boys could be chasing one another with a broom

And, the next, his men would be embroiled in a much deadlier spat

Boldly waltzing through flames, in the devil’s ballroom.

There were too many rigorous training sessions when they were tired…too many dull drills

The guys griped. But, there was so little time, and so much they needed to learn.

So, the Captain would continue to hone their skills

Their lives, their safety—not his own popularity—was always Hank Stanley’s chief concern.

Besides, Hank had five sons…five friends…five brothers, and the bonds between them had grown too strong to ever break.

Their job frequently required that they lay their lives…on the line

It was a Captain’s job to keep his crew prepared. If his men were ready for the dangers, the fewer risks they would have to take.

‘Ye-es,’ Stanley mused, with a satisfied smile. ‘I'll watch their backs…and, they'll watch mine.’

And...Speaking of boys being boys...