Random acts of Kindness

I dunno. I think SheWeazel's (great name) random act was more altruistic than being a firefighter, though obviously on a different scale regarding risk and benefits. We (in the fire/EMS community) never discuss it or probably even think about it, but much of what we do is selfish. The return on buying flowers for a stranger provides a much smaller payoff, so is probably more altruistic. Also, I was talking more about general motivation than the randomness, but the fact that the act is calculated rather strengthens my point, I think. I'm sorry about your dad, and I think the link is, unfortunately, quite likely. The oldtimers all have the attitude that air packs are for sissys, and it's more manly to eat smoke, get steam burns, etc. This attitude remains particularly prevalent in large urban departments, such as FDNY and Chicago. But there's unbelievably toxic stuff in smoke, even in an ordinary home, what with all the synthetics. Firefighting has evolved from a job into a profession in the last fifteen years or so, and the old BS attitudes are slowly leaving. I always wear an air pack, and would get my ass kicked if I tried not to. I spent a year and a half as a paid fire officer, and the hardest part of my job was keeping alive the eager young kids who had seen crap like Backdraft and wanted to go jumping into danger and glory with no thought of their safety or others'. Fucking punks think they're immortal.