#AHOUSEDIVIDED

Do you remember a time when people with divergent opinions were able to sit down and have a discussion, hammer out a middle ground and go on with their day as friends? 

I do, and I know, many of you do as well. Unless we start to do something about the discourse of society today however, there will be a time when people are unable to answer that question by saying yes. 

Our society is faced with many complicated challenges, and some use that as an excuse for what is happening in our world today. 

I call bullshit on that.  

Every generation and society dealt with the complicated situations of their day. And in many cases, they did it without the aid of complex computer algorithms and modeling doing the heavy lifting. 

Everything is complicated until it is understood. 

The difference between then and now though seems to be how we navigate through challenges and conversations, how we polarize and withdraw from those who think differently, and how ill feelings, attitudes, and intent have become so pervasive. Oh, and how we feel the uncontrolled need to publicly attack those we disagree with. 

There was a time when you could have different feelings on a subject and get into a ‘spirited discussion’, but still see the positive qualities of your adversary, and understand their point of view. You could sit down over a beer or coffee and hash it out. Then you could go about your business knowing you acted like adults and took the time to understand each other's point of view. 

Points of view that come from different perspectives, different life experiences, environments, education and upbringings. Perspectives that unless you experienced, you couldn't possibly know. 

Points of view that you might at least understand, or maybe even agree with, if you slow down, open your mind a little bit, and act with respect towards your fellow human beings, respect based upon the fact that we were all on the same path, just trying to get to tomorrow and improve our situation a little bit in order to live a happy and peaceful life with our families. 

You won't lose your soul if you look into their eyes and try to see things from their perspective. You just might become a better person however, for having tried to step out of your comfort zone and realize that all of the bickering you're doing over things you ultimately can't control anyway is useless and robbing you and others of the precious little time you have on this earth. 

Obviously, the current political and social environments are ripe for this sort of nonsense, but don't be fooled, it's creeping into our fine service as well. 

When a firefighter can't go outside and drill or step up and try to improve him or herself without being under threat of social media tirades from those who were unwilling, unable, or too nervous to get out there and do it themselves, there are cracks forming in our foundation. 

When we think that our city or our department is the only ones who know the way, or that our policy and theories are the best, there are cracks forming in our foundation.  

When we can't keep our mouths quiet or our fingers idle, and we spew forth with nonsense about other firefighters, shifts, or department's for things we had no involvement in, there are cracks forming in our foundation. 

When a brother or sister firefighter cannot have a divergent political affiliation, or ideology than yours, and if you're unwilling to hear them out, there are cracks forming in our foundation. 
Our brother and sisterhoods are under attack from within our own ranks. We are turning on ourselves because we are too self-involved to remember that we're fighting the same fight, for the same goals.

We've become too involved with having the most likes, or sounding the coolest, or being the first, or having the wittiest response, or being on the ‘winning’ side. 

None of that matters. Nobody cares. You can't take any of it with you, and it's not going to prolong your time on this earth or get you into some special place. 

It can, however, shorten your life and make the time you do have less tenable. 

Life, much like a fire, is about survivable space. Getting yourself to a point within an environment where you can breathe, grow, and thrive. 

When that fire is raging and you're burning up, guess what, we're all the same. It doesn't care, it will take you just as quickly as anyone else. It doesn't look for a D or an R, it doesn't look for a smooth bore or a fog, it doesn't care if you drilled in an acquired structure or in the F@#&!*% parking lot. 

If you don't have the skills you need to overcome it, it's going to take you. 

So, if that's the case, and we know it is, why spend time on nonsense, why bicker over things we can't change, why berate and belittle those who look different, talk different, think different, love different, and or live differently than you? 

Why not come together and use those differences to make us all better? To smooth out that path that we're all walking on. 

Why not show up, engage and work hard together to accomplish amazing things instead of wasting so much time and so much energy on the trivial nonsense that in the end, when a child is trapped, when a brother or sister is missing, when one of our own is looking down the barrel of a gun held in his own hand, or when your time has finally come to an end, doesn't matter one bit. 

Brothers and sisters, we are better than this. We can do better than this. We swore an oath, those who have gone before us have sacrificed their blood, sweat, tears, and lives and then handed our great service off to us. 

We need to build it up, make it strong, reinforce its foundation so that we can hand it off to others better than it was given to us. And we can't do that if we keep treating each other like enemies. 

We can only do it if we come together as brothers and sisters, forget the petty differences, ignore the politics, move beyond different lifestyles and choices and work on the hard issues that facing us.  

That is what the fire service has always done. That is why the citizens respect and support us. 

Honor our traditions and legacy, adapt them to our changing world, and leave something better than you found it. 

Take care of yourselves and take care of one another. 

We have one shot. We have to do our best to get it right.  

Be smart, be as safe as you can, and do your job.