Ya never know...

Orlando Fire Department in the 1960's

6 AM rolled around and after realizing that I had already been in and out of slumber for about an hour, I just got up. Brrr. Is this really Florida?

The morning was quiet and peaceful. Too quiet really. But, nice quiet.  I think God is preparing me for what lies ahead by helping me to embrace these quiet times, these early mornings that Roger loved so much. He was not necessarily quiet in the mornings, but he did love them!

Firefighters...they hit the floor running! Oh, so very polar opposite from me. Don't talk out loud to me until the sun is midway to noon, ok?  

We were polar opposites in many ways, but that, after all, makes a perfect middle ground, right?  This morning I ran across a random package and opened it. It was something we had received way on back in 2011, from someone who was a rookie firefighter, (I gathered) with Roger.  It was a collection of photos from back in the day from OFD (Orlando Fire Dept)  Some of the photos went way on back to the 1800's but I stopped in on the 1960s.

This was one of my favorites. I am pretty sure that is good ole Roger at the back of the truck. I'm sure that even back in the day, he was probably a perfect candidate for talking to kids. He was almost that skinny when I met him, and looking at this photo brings back another memory.  I remember going to the downtown fire station when I was a little girl. In fact, I could have been the little girl to the left with her back to us, in the cute little full skirt dress and white socks. Or maybe one of the little girls up close to the front near that handsome firefighter. 

I don't really ever remember having a fascination with firefighters as a kid, I don't remember my brother even playing firefighter...GI Joe, yes, but not firefighter. I do remember that a firefighter lived down the street from us because he had a house that was identical to ours, except that it had a taller driveway hill. It was great for roller skates, and skinned knees, but he was there a lot to fix us up. His name was Joe Gray. I found out many years later that Roger used to hang out with a firefighter named Joe Gray. We were driving through the neighborhood where I grew up and he said..."hey, I've been here before, a lot."  I lived in that neighborhood from the time I was in 1st grade until I was in 11th grade. Good chance that we were on that same street at the same time! 

Odd to think that I might have been the little girl in the photo, but indeed, it could have happened. Roger was already a rookie firefighter when I was in the second grade. I understand that people, especially family members always wondered if he was EVER going to get married.  Of course, he knew that he was waiting for someone very special. I doubt that he knew that he had to wait for her to grow up and get out of high school though! We laughed about that a lot! 

By the time we met, he had already moved over to KSC and another exciting fire department. I was working at Sears, and yes, we actually met at the Sears Catalog Desk. And I was in college by then.

We found each other in the Sears Catalog. But....that's another memory for another day.
I don't know what this day is going to bring, but this morning memory was a really great one. 

Pondering about what Roger's Lesson might be in this one....I think he would say "ya  never know"  meaning of course, to just talk to people. All people. Ya never know when your life is going to change for the better because of someone you just met. 

Yep....I'd say that even though I though he was pretty old at the time, my life definitely changed for the better.  But the best part is that God knew it all along. He knew it when I was in 2nd grade.....and he knows it now. My job is only to trust in Him for tomorrow. 

I do hope it is a sun-shine-y day all day, but even if it isn't....He'll get me through.