It may take you two minutes to read this, but if you do not take the time to read this you are one of the people this post is talking about.


You stay up for 16 hours
He's been for 48 straight
_________________________
You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
The rain in the middle of the interstate keeps him awake.
__________________________
You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.
He's chilled to the bone, hasnt eaten all day, has the flu, and then runs into a burning building
__________________________
You drink your coffee on your way to the mall.
He pumps on a five years olds chest on the way to the hospital.
__________________________
You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.
He makes sure the pass device on his pack is working.
__________________________
You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you.
He watches his buddy fall through four floors.
__________________________
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He walks down the highway looking for the motorcyclists missing limb.
_________________________
You complain about how hot it is.
He wears fifty pounds of gear in the middle of July and drags a body out of 1600 degree flames.
__________________________
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He hasn't seen a meal since last shift ate breakfast.
__________________________
Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
Hes worn the same stinking, wet, grungy clothes for the past 24 hours....no time for a shower.
__________________________
You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He holds the hair of some college girl while shes puking in the back of the ambo.
__________________________
You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
His shift ended 2 hours ago and he on for another 24 hours at a station thirty miles away.
__________________________
You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He calls his girlfriend to tell her he made it back alive....then leaves abrubtly for another fire.
__________________________
You yell and scream at the engine that just past you beacuse they slowed you down.
Hes in the back of the engine, going to cut somebody out of their car only to find out that their dead and their daughter is barely alive.
__________________________
You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He cries as he hears his new born cry in the hospital....but he was taking a drunk teenager in when his boy was born.
__________________________
You criticize your fire dept and say their never there quick enough anyways.
He blows the air horn while the person in front of them refuses to move while talking on their cell phone and doing their makeup.
__________________________
You hear the jokes about fallen firefighters and say they should have known better.
He feels the floor give way while hes carrying an old lady from her bedroom and tosses on to the hard floor and falls into the unknown.
__________________________
You see the bright lights when you go by.
He sees the broken bodies lying around the car.
__________________________
You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He looks into buying a bullet proof vest because he been shot at trying to save the shooting victims life.
__________________________
You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes his spare time to wash the wagon, restock the ambo and maybe call his mother to tell her not to worry, he'll be home the next night
__________________________
You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He tries to sleep on his spring board bed but keeps getting woken up by the gong and bell, ahh, one hour of sleep, it should do till tommorow night.
__________________________
You sit there and judge him, saying the that its a waste of money to have them around.
Garbage truck workers make more than he does, but its not for the money, its for the people who don't appreciate what he does.