Here's the thing.
I promised Evan that I would write this up, after I mentioned the idea a couple days ago. I had already drafted it once or twice and just closed out, and by that point I was just ready to dismiss it and move on. But he wasn't. Call it human curiousity. And who could say no to a face like this, anyway?
Yeah. Moving on.
Today's topic of (Evdawg's) choice is:
What's it really like to date a fireman?
First things first: let's cover some necessary bases. Evan is a volunteer firefighter. While he has hopes and dreams of becoming a paid guy one (very soon) day, I won't pretend to actually know what it's like to date a career fireman, who spends 40-60 hours per week at a fire station. (Disclaimer finished.)
Last Thursday, I drove my next-door neighbor to a doctor's appointment. After a trip through People magazine for me, and some kind of real fun procedure for her, we were back in the car strolling along on our way home. Chatting, you know. The Peachtree Roadrace came up, because we run it together every year on the fourth of July (which is, as you know...like real soon!) And we're talking, and remembering fun times, you know, with the bands and the drunken men and dance lines and church bells and that Catholic priest that always sprinkles us with holy water and.. yeah.
So anyway, she starts talking about this crew of smokin' hot firemen that she stopped to em, talk to. (Flirt with.) And she's telling me about how they were flirting back, and you know. This and that. ("They were so CUTE!") It being a year since she actually saw them, and since I'm sure she only talked with them for 3-5 minutes, I'm inclined to think that her cute firemen looked (if only in her mind) like a straight up July and August:
For the most part, when people find out that I'm dating a firefighter, (coworkers, classmates, etc.) the reaction is of the "ooh la-la" type. Firefighters are the object of public oogling, for every reason displayed in those calendar pictures; in the public eye, they're strong, brave, Apollo-esque heroes who save kittens from trees and damsels from burning buildings. And if you want to know what it's like to date one of those guys...you'll have to ask someone else. Because I don't know. I've never done it.
I have spent the last year with someone who is afraid of spiders; who likes bacon-wrapped pork chops a whole lot more than he likes working out. Who doesn't actually want to ever be called to save a kitten from a tree; who would like nothing more than to roll up to someone else's home, finding it totally aflame.
Who, without any notice, will spend the night at the firehouse if a big storm is rolling in. Who has to cut me off of phone calls, when the dispatcher calls him to go. Who, at some point, will miss every major holiday in the book- Father's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve- because the fire department calls first.
It can be a challenging thing, for reasons deeper than the obvious. Some days, it boils down to a fight with myself to remember that I'm not second to the fire station; to remember that other people need him; to remember that he's doing something he loves, but that he loves me, too.
On the other hand, where there is a challenge, there are blessings. Pro's, ups, whatever you want to call them. Being with a fireman means having a loyal partner; a best friend who will always make it his priority to keep me safe. It means having someone who starts what he finishes, and never does anything halfway, because he leads a lifestyle where halfway won't cut it. It means having someone who knows how fragile life can be, and has a respect for that. It means having someone who knows how to work, and enjoys rolling up his sleeves and getting a little dirty. Someone who plays a part in a genuine, trusting brotherhood; someone who will laugh at work and will know how to bring that sense of humor home. Someone who has chosen to follow his dream, for all that it is- and someone who will endlessly push me to follow mine.
Challenging? Yes. But this, like any challenge, brings so many rewards.
Stay safe, Mr. Fireman. I love you.
