“NICE” by Default
Naughty or Nice?
It’s that time of year when we all wonder where we fall on ol’ Saint Nick’s magic list.
Where do you stand? Will a big old lump of coal hit your stocking or will Santa hit your chimney with a whole bunch of toys?
It’s the stuff we have all lay awake and think about since we were all knee high to a grasshopper. Nervously as visions of sugarplums dance around in our heads, we listen for the pitter-patter of hoof prints on the roof of the station…that is just before our dreams are interrupted by the chirp of a Minitor accompanied by the rude awakening blast of a claxon chiming out our next adventure.
Gotta tell you…
Gotta tell you, in our humble opinion and we know Santa pretty well (like our pipeline to insurances, we tap into the North Pole’s database pretty regularly), the Jolly Old Elf has pretty high regard for all of you in Fire/EMS.
Of course, it has a lot to do with that night a few years ago when the sleigh crash landed in the middle of The Heartland during a hellacious snowstorm a few years back and some of you were there to save Christmas, but literally Santa has blinders on when it comes you all of you in the field.
Sure…it wasn’t easy overlooking that incident from the Christmas party of 2015. The Elves all thought there was a “naughty” future for a few of you that time, but the buck stops with Santa himself and he squashed the effort to put a checkmark for you in that column because, well…it’s you.
You get a pass!
Santa has a soft spot in his heart for all of you First Responders because Santa loves when people love on other people.
You get a pass!
Love on people is what you do 24/7/365. When people are at their worst, in their darkest most desperate hours, it’s you they turn to.
When even our best resuscitation efforts cannot save the day, it’s you people lean on, cry on, look to as their first line of comfort. When Granny Smith falls in the middle of the night and she hits her “button,” it’s your smiling face and strong arms she relies on to get her re-nestled all snugly in her bed.
Even when lonely Mr. Jones calls 9-1-1 basically just to see a smiling face that assures him that all is right with the world and he’s going to live another day…you are that one person who he will receive a warm word of encouragement from.
When Sally crashed her Honda in the big snowstorm while her husband was on business in Walla Walla Washington and you held her hand to let her know everything was going to be okay…Santa’s magic snow globe replayed the video for him to see firsthand how caring you can be.
And so…
And so…it was never an issue for Santa when your name popped up on the screen.
“That one belongs in the “NICE” column,” he exclaimed.
For making the world a better place in the midst of the storm of life, the guy in the red suit has your back. Now be nice and be safe and party responsibly for sure…just know that the guy from the North Pole has a default for you and “NAUGHTY” you will never be (that is unless you elect to be- then that’s up to you <wink…wink> !!!)
From this billing office to all of you out there on the street doing the EMS thing that you do…Have a wonderful holiday with a big thanks from all of us for just being YOU!
