Insolent NDN

I’ve decided I am a firefighter today. I don’t know much about being a firefighter, no firefighters in my family but I heard that my great-great grandfather may have worked as a volunteer firefighter in Jackson County back in the day. But, really, I just like the idea of being a firefighter - it’s exciting, well, it *sounds* exciting, and the red truck gets bonus points.

I am a firefighter. I said so. I even Googled “firefighting” to find out a little bit more about what being a firefighter entails (aside from the snazzy uniform and the aforementioned hella cool red truck!) but there was a LOT of information, some of it seemed too academic or too angry (the NYFD seems to be really upset still) so I clicked out of the sites and went to eBay instead to see if I could get a firefighting uniform on the cheap, maybe get it tailored to be a bit more fitted too…

Since I am a firefighter, I am telling everyone all about *being* a firefighter. I keep getting asked what station I work for and who my team is but I shrug it off, no need to get into the deals of work and community - I’ve always been a loner, a solitary practitioner, if you will. I get dressed in the uniform and strut around town, sometimes I even get up the courage to stand near the red trucks (omgtheyaresocooooool!) but I am irritated that people are questioning my right to assert my identity as a firefighter! Who the hell do they think they are? Fuck the haters, I am going to go see about getting a Dalmatian.

I am really getting pissed off that there is this expectation on me to associate myself with other firefighters now. I mean, some firefighters, are, well, less than savory characters. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. I was listening to a few police officers go on about a few of those bad apples and found myself nodding with them. I may be a firefighter but I don’t want to be associated with the wrong element, and therefore, I really can’t be expected to socialize with other firefighters, right? Plus, I am new to firefighting and those hard-core, life-long, family-legacy firefighters might question me?! Yeah, I know, who would question me about being a firefighter? I paid my dues! And I don’t do rejection well… and I might be rejected among other firefighters where I am not a novelty (like I am at the Policeman’s Ball).

I finally did go to the local Firefighter’s Barbecue… it’s was okay. Most of the other firefighters were nice and everyone was cordial but they wanted to know about me and my work in the firefighter community - what kind of work did I do, how did I prefer to put out fires, who were my mentors, who trained me, who bossed me around? Huh? I am not getting this over-the-top assumption that *being* a firefighter means that I have to have actually done any of that! I prefer to do my own thing, I am pretty much a rebel, you know?

Seriously, I have the right to be a firefighter if I want to be. I bought the uniform, I even did some research and my great-great grandfather definitely was a volunteer firefighter! This is the Western World where freedom of choice reigns! How dare these firefighters judge me just because they’ve always been firefighters… or active firefighters. It’s not fair, and now I see what all those police folks were saying - firefighters have an entitlement complex and, really, I can see how they contribute to the oppression of those not like them. Fuck this! I am taking off this firefighter hat… I obviously need to consult my shaman Cinnamon Bearclaw about my *true* identity; I always have had an affinity for sous chefs.