Membership

摘要

I VAGUELY REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST thought about joining the fire service. Now, before the horse jokes start flying around in your heads, let's remember that you, too, will soon be where I am in your careers, if you are not already. I feel like I am not yet done racing but maybe at the beginning of the end of the final chapter-and remember, I like long books. So, no I am not going away anytime soon. When I first thought about joining the fire service and had the courage to mention it out loud, I was at a family gathering in grandma's backyard on Hollywood Avenue in the Bronx. Making such a bold statement in that setting was not a pretty thing to see. I come from a predominantly Irish Catholic New York City Bronx-centric family. The law in NYC states that any member of such a family has three possible career paths: cop, firefighter, or priest-that is it, no exceptions. The family was and still is deeply immersed in all three approved career choices.