Archive for September, 2006

29
Sep

   Posted by: Lightning    in Uncategorized

The Wife’s Spill

I know you guys thought you wasn’t gonna hear from me, but guess what? Gotcha, cause here I is.

You know when you’re going on a long trip with the kids and it is helpful to have DVD, books, etc… to make the trip a little less nerve racking? Well this here Blog does the same for us cause we get to vent and talk to all out friends during out “trip” to transplant land and it helps us tremendously. Thank You all for it, and being there during this time.
Its funny how things happen in our lives, we all plan, have goals, and dream of what we would like our life to be, but guess what? You want to hear God laugh?? Tell Him your plans!!! You know why? cause Daa, its not for us to make them! If you would talk to the Man upstairs every now and then through prayer, or read his book, you might get a hint of how to plan your lives. Let we warn you. Unfortunately, I have had first hand experience my friends. You can avoid God, rebuke Him, ignore Him, all you want and live like He dont exist, but Warning!!, listen very close! If God really wants you to listen to him and you ignore him like a stubborn child, believe me folks, He will put you on your knees! Your awakening can be harsh and painful, but you will finally come to the conclusion and say OK Father God, I hear you already. But dont be mad about it and don’t be stubborn cause He is in control of your life people. I dont care how you try to say no, He has the last word, whether you like it or not. So much for that testimony. You can tell I’am kin to Pel, you hand around him long enough, it just comes out of you. You talk about God alot and talk too much, Ha Ha.

Today is a sad day for Pel, cause it marks the end of his 22 years in the Fire Service. It didn’t take me long to realize Pel’s priorities when we started dating 12 years ago, #1 was GOD, #2 was the Fire Service and then we fell in there somewhere. Pel always gave his 110% to the Fire Service and the Brothers that served with him. He never minded or complained about a call in the middle of a cold winter’s night, he always went . I am very proud of him and his devotion to God and his family and friends. Pel is a wonderful Christian, Husband, Father, son and Brother. I have been blessed to have him in my life.

We are still waiting on that magic call from those folks in Charleston, I have faith in the people there, and I figure they know what they are doing, so we are trying to wait patiently. I am going to have to change the summer clothes packed in out suitcases to winter ones soon .

Please keep on with the prayers and phone calls and thanks again for all you have done for us, it will never be forgotten! You guys are the best.

WE LOVE YOU ALL,
CLAIRE

19 Comments
29
Sep

   Posted by: Lightning    in Uncategorized

Old Man Syndrome

Fact or Fiction


Well at least I use to think I knew! I remember as a young boy (you know I have to say young because I have never been little) that when someone talked about retirement they was old, even older than my Grandparents. Time passed & I began to work and became a little wiser and then bragged about how I could retire at 40 years old, if I wanted to. I never dreamed that at 41 years old I would have to retire. The doctors told me it was no longer safe for me to work and I had to agree, but I did not have to like it. Any way the time has come and the journey for now has ended, at least until I recover from the transplant. I must lay down the mighty working tools of the trade, a flat nose shovel and a camera, and pick up something new. The only problem I have with this is when you have a job you love you will never work a day in your life, therefore I have not started to work yet. They are a lot of things I would love to do, but one I get started I have to stop because I have no energy left. I am however enjoying the time I get to spend with my wonderful family, from picking up the little one at school, spending time with my beautiful bride when she is not working, spending time with my son when he is not at college and the time I can spend with my Daddy. You know he has mastered the syndrome. I remember him telling me several years ago when he was retiring that he had worked all of his life and had always had a job, but now he didn’t. I did not really understand what he was talking about but you know after tomorrow I too will not have a job and that is scary.
My work career as a paid firefighter, police officer – Arson Investigator started
September 15, 1984 and this journey ends September 29, 2006.
I do however have hope and a smile because I know who is in control and God don’t make no mistakes. Starting Saturday September 30, 2006 I will be on a new journey, one that will no less be just as exciting as the last, God is still driving and I am just along for the ride.
Who is driving your journey, are you working or do you do something that you just can’t believe someone will pay you to do?
If you are working then you need to move over to the passenger seat and let God drive and the journey you will begin will be unbelievable.
We again want to thank God for all he has done and will do for us, and we want to thank you for all you have done and will do and all the prayers that have been lifted up for me and my family.

God Bless You and know that God loves you and so do we.

Pel, Claire, Justin and Abigail

23 Comments
27
Sep

   Posted by: Lightning    in Uncategorized

1,000 Visitors

Just wanted to thank everyone for their support for Daddy and the online blog, we went over the 1,000 visitors mark today. It is very appreciated that there are so many people that are interested in what is going on, and showing support. Please just continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Keep coming, because it could be any day when we are called down to Charleston.

Daddy hasn’t been feeling all that great, not a whole lot different than usual, but not as well either. Same type things as mentioned in an earlier post. So again please just keep him in your prayers.

16 Comments
9
Sep

   Posted by: Lightning    in Uncategorized

Saturday In Possum Kingdom…..

Well as most of you know I am one of the few who is proud to say I am from Possum Kingdom. I guess that happens when you are the fire chief for many years. Of course, being from Possum Kingdom has its disadvantages. For instance, there is only one college, so if the kids don’t want to go to Possum Kingdom University, then they must travel a long ways away just to go to a fancy named college. Of course being from Possum Kingdom has it’s advantages also, for instance everybody knows everybody, except the ones who have slipped in here from places far away like Greenville & Anderson, but we will learn them soon enough. Well I guess I should stop about my heritage because my wife says I just talk too much, I think she is still trying to avoid saying she is from Possum Kingdom. Of course I am sure she could educate me a lot, being from West Pelzer.

OK enough, I wanted to update every one since I have not posted anything lately, but not a lot has changed, still good days and bad days but God is in control and I am just along for the ride and with God driving I will survive. I sure do hope all of you are doing great. It is tough sometimes being a house husband and stay at home Dad, as my lovely wife like to call me. I did however go to Anderson this week and have blood drawn for the folks in Charleston. On Friday they called me and stated that my blood work looked better than before, my MELD score has dropped to a 15, but they said that did not change a thing. They told me I was #1 on the list, O blood type list and everything was still on go. Speaking of being ready to go my family is on pins and needles; every time I call I have to let them know real fast that this is not the call to go to Charleston. OK I will admit that every time the phone rings I am trying to see who is calling before I can even answer the phone. We have our bags packed and have tried to figure out as much as possible how to make leaving real fast. Speaking of packed bags, I have a black bag packed and if someone was to stop me and ask what’s in the bag I could not answer them. The contents of the bag apparently are minor concerns, and I guess I am not to trouble myself with minor concerns, because I was told here is you bag ready to go, don’t take anything out of it. I translated that as it is packed, don’t bother it; you know those minor concern type things. I have been good I have just pushed it around some with my foot, nothing has happened so I am sure it is safe.

A great friend sent me this note this morning and I would like to post it for you, Thanks Jan. Remember Sept. 11 is coming fast, please remember 9/11 and all who gave so much and those who are still giving.

The lives of Emergency Responders

I wish you could know what it is like to search a burning bedroom for trapped children at 3 AM, flames rolling above your head, your palms and knees burning as you crawl, the floor sagging under your weight as the kitchen below you burns.

I wish you could comprehend a wife’s horror at 6 in the morning as I check her husband of 40 years for a pulse and find none. I start CPR anyway, hoping to bring him back, knowing intuitively it is too late. But wanting his wife and family to know everything possible was done to try to save his life.

I wish you knew the unique smell of burning insulation, the taste of soot-filled mucus, the feeling of intense heat through your turnout gear, the sound of flames crackling, the eeriness of being able to see absolutely nothing in dense smoke-sensations that I’ve become too familiar with.

I wish you could read my mind as I respond to a building fire “Is this a false alarm or a working fire? How is the building constructed? What hazards await me? Is anyone trapped?” Or to call, “What is wrong with the patient? Is it minor or life-threatening? Is the caller really in distress or is he waiting for us with a 2×4 or a gun?”

I wish you could be in the emergency room as a doctor pronounces dead the beautiful five-year old girl that I have been trying to save during the past 25 minutes, who will never go on her first date or say the words, “I love you Mommy” again.

I wish you could know the frustration I feel in the cab of the engine, squad, or my personal vehicle, the driver with his foot pressing down hard on the pedal, my arm tugging again and again at the air horn chain, as you fail to yield the right-of-way at an intersection or in traffic. When you need us however, your first comment upon our arrival will be, “It took you forever to get here!”

I wish you could know my thoughts as I help extricate a girl of teenage years from the remains of her automobile. “What if this was my daughter, sister, my girlfriend or a friend? What was her parent’s reaction going to be when they opened the door to find a police officer with hat in hand?”

I wish you could know how it feels to walk in the back door and greet my parents and family, not having the heart to tell them that I nearly did not come back from the last call.

I wish you could know how it feels dispatching officers, firefighters and EMT’s out and when we call for them and our heart drops because no one answers back or to here a bone chilling 911 call of a child or wife needing assistance.I wish you could feel the hurt as people verbally, and sometimes physically, abuse us or belittle what we do, or as they express their attitudes of “It will never happen to me.”

I wish you could realize the physical, emotional and mental drain or missed meals, lost sleep and forgone social activities, in addition to all the tragedy my eyes have seen.

I wish you could know the brotherhood and self-satisfaction of helping save a life or preserving someone’s property, or being able to be there in time of crisis, or creating order from total chaos.

I wish you could understand what it feels like to have a little boy tugging at your arm and asking, “Is Mommy okay?” Not even being able to look in his eyes without tears from your own and not knowing what to say. Or to have to hold back a long time friend who watches his buddy having CPR done on him as they take him away in the Medic Unit. You know all along he did not have his seat belt on. A sensation that I have become too familiar with.

Unless you have lived with this kind of life, you will never truly understand or appreciate who I am, we are, or what our job really means to us…I wish you could though. Because, they are doing the job, that no one else wants to do.

APPRECIATE AND SUPPORT THE LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, EMS WORKERS AND 911 DISPATCHERS IN YOUR AREA. ONE DAY THEY’LL PROBABLY BE SAVING YOUR PROPERTY OR YOUR OWN LIFE. WHEN YOU SEE THEM COMING WITH LIGHTS FLASHING, MOVE OUT OF THE WAY QUICKLY, THEN PRAY FOR THEM AND WHOEVER THEY MAY BE GOING TO HELP!

Author Unknown

God Bless You and Be Careful,
Pel

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