Something got me thinking... Last week Caleb and I were driving down good ol' I-15 southbound near American Fork main street exit when suddenly a car coming towards us northbound flipped in the air, bounced off the barrier, and landed in the southboud fast lane. How did it happen? I don't know, but what I do know is those barriers don't always do their job, and unfortunately someone's life was probably ruined that night. Luckily we had just switched lanes and we weren't driving in the carpool lane anymore because we had to exit off the freeway to drop off Luke who was riding with us. Anyways, we've all been in situations like this. It was one of those moments in time that gives you the shakes, forces your blood to pump at 90 mph, makes your legs feel like jello, and your heart skips a beat or two. The first words out of my mouth were, "Caleb go and see if those people are alive." I feel extra sad Caleb and Luke had to see that and I know it brought back horrible memories. We said many prayers that night. Unfortunately Caleb and I have seen a few bad accidents these past summer months on the freeway. We now know it's never a good sign when you're driving on the freeway one way, and there is no traffic coming towards you the other way. That is a creepy kind of haunting feeling. We've seen lifeflight on the freeway 2 times in the last four weeks. So sad! So back to what I've been thinking. Last spring I finished my CPR class for school and now I have these cards that give me the the title of a certified first responder. I am trained to stop in situations like these and hold heads still until help arrives, give CPR if needed, reduce shock, and most importantly calm people down and try to make a very bad situation a little better. Uhh, I don't think I could ever do that. It takes a special person to do that! Someone who can step in and assure people that everything will be okay when their world comes crashing in on them. Anyone who knows me knows I don't deal well with bodily fluids especially snotty noses. I am also a very blunt person and I would probably say things that wouldn't calm people down, but rather make the situation worse. For these reasons, it's fair to say I'm kind of the black sheep of the fam. My blood must be different than my siblings and here's why. My sister and brothers have at some point devoted their entire lives to saving and helping other peoples lives. I'll start with Aubrey. Aubrey was an EMT for Farmington City Fire for several years. She went on several calls up Farmington Canyon, we all know what Farmington Canyon + Friday Nights + alcohol + ATV's equals. And then there's Mike. Mike who served as a police officer in Dodge City, Kanasas. Dodge city... the city that has a higher crime rate (per capita) than Miami, Florida. Mike who was the first to the scene to start CPR and comfort a family when a three year old little girl was backed over by a bronco in the snow-cone parking lot. And of course Andy, Andy whose whole life career has been spent and will be spent in an Emergency Room, helping people when their world is crashing down on them. And the best part about this story... they love helping others and they wouldn't want things any other way. They know how to take control and calm a situation down when all heck has broken lose. So here's to them. My heroes.
It's a pretty sweet honor to be called a hero. I googled the word 'hero' and here's what I found.
- A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.
