Square Wheels

Your mom has always has that remarkable patience and grace.  I think the reason we make such a good couple is that in this regard I am almost the opposite of her.  I tend to be impatient with myself and instead of grace I tend to try to push through things.  If your mom is elegance, I am brute force.

The sincere hope is that you are able to strike the balance between both of these attributes.  I  keep learning that being tenacious alone is never enough.  When you can balance tenacity with patience and grace, you will get far more done.   What follows is my INVICTUS installment for this month and what I hope is an illustration of what I am trying to say.

No matter what always retain the ability to laugh at yourself.  Humor is like aspirin, it takes away that pounding pain in your head.

After careful consideration, I made the decision to retire from the FD that I have spent my entire career at to move to another FD.  A lot of this has to do with my decision to focus on paramedic skills.  When you move from one FD to another the process involves a series of written tests, and interviews.  A big part of the process is the physical agility tests. 


Prior to the physical agility test for new FD, I injured my knee at the gym.  I have no patience for myself.  I kept working out hard to work through it.  By the time the test rolls around, I am in agony.  It is a timed test and physically demanding.  I miss the completion time by 15 seconds and I am bounced from the process.  I am floored, just crushed..this is stuff I can do in my sleep.  I want to crawl in a hole an die.

I have another FD call me to go through their process, including physical agility.  I go to the doctor 3 times. follow instructions, get the right physical therapy.  Start to watch what I am eating and with rest, I really start to feel great.  Your mom of course tried to get me to do this before the 1st testing process but I thought I could bull my way through it. 

Today, I went through a more demanding physical agility test and passed with flying colors.  I am starting with a new FD next week. 

Tenacity alone is just not enough.  When I try to power through things I am like this big race car with this huge engine and square frigging wheels.  You can give it all the gas you want and run the hell out of the engine.  Those square wheels are going to make progress real slow. 

Don't be a race car with square friggin wheels.