Sometimes a Hero (Sometimes Not)

How do first responders cope with the oftentimes tragic events they are charged with guiding others through? Often, they inject a dose of humor. That humor is often the result of a rare circumstance colliding with an open mind. Humor can be the salve that cools the burn of repeated exposure to heartbreaking trauma, getting the first responder through to the next call for help. Sometimes a Hero (Sometimes Not) tells the true story of how I, as a teenager learned to adapt to my career in EMS and the fire service. Sometimes using humor, sometimes falling into isolation and other times using denial, to get me through the first 27 years of my 36 year career. Repeated exposure to traumatic events can lead to a first responder becoming calloused to the things they witness. This true story shows the reader how I first hardened myself, then with the diagnosis of job related leukemia, found the part of myself I had hidden from others. With more than a little humor sprinkled in.