Childhood dreams are typically just that - dreams. Rarely do these dreams last into adulthood, and even more rarely do they come true after so many years. But my childhood dream was more than just a “phase.” That dream became a lifelong goal. My father had been a firefighter for many years, just like his father before him, and I wanted to be just like them. Throughout childhood, I often visited my father at his firehouse, climbing aboard the fire engine, pretending I was racing off to a raging fire somewhere in the city. Years passed since those days, but the dream of being a firefighter never ceased. So it felt surreal the day my father pinned the badge onto my Elbeco uniform. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was still dreaming. I was finally a firefighter, just like him.
