Am I a Fireman Yet ?

Post 225 - - - - - Sunday, 10th June, 2007.

Hi Everyone ~~ How is the world treating you tonight? With
great kindness I hope, and that you are all well. Or as well as
can be expected. I am fine and all is well here in Shepparton.
John came and cut my lawns this afternoon, as my regular
man has been away for a while, and the grass was very long,
so thank you John. It is nice and tidy again.

Tonight I have a lovely story that will touch the hearts of
those who read it. My friend Gwen sent it to me. Thanks!!

In Queensland, Australia, a 26 year old mother stared down
at her 6 year old son, who was dying of terminal leukaemia.
Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a
strong feeling of determination.

Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up and fulfil
all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible. The
leukaemia would see to that. But she still wanted her
son's dreamm to come true.

She took her son's hand and asked, "Ben, did you ever think
what you wanted to be once you grew up ?"
Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your
life ?" Mummy, I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up."
Mum smiled back and said, "Let'e see if we can make your wish
come true."

Later that day she went to her local fire station in Brisbane, where
she met Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Queensland,
She explained her son's final wish and asked if it might be possible
to give her 6 year old son a ride around the block on a fire engine.

Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have
your son ready at 7 o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him
an honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the
fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the full Monty.

And if you give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform for him,
with a real fire hat ~ not a toy -one with the emblem of the Q'ld
Fire and Rescue Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear and
rubber boots. They are all manufactured right here in Brisbane,
so we can get them fast."

Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Ben, dressed him in his
Uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting
truck. Ben got to sit on the back of the truck and helped steer it
back to the station.

He was in heaven. There were three fire calls in Brisbane that
day and Ben got to go out on all three calls. He rode in different
fire engines that day. He was also video-taped for the local news
program.

Having his dream come true, with all the Love and attention that
was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Ben, that he lived
three months longer than any doctor thought possible.

One night all his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the
head nurse, who believed in the hospice concept - that no one
should die alone, began to call the family members to the
hospital. Then she remembered the day Ben spent as a fireman
so she called the Fire Station and asked if it would be possible
to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Ben as
he made his transition.

The Officer in charge replied, "We can do better than that. We'll
be there is 5 minutes. Will you please do me a favour? When
you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will
you announce over the PA system, that there is not a fire. It's
the department coming to see one of it's finest members one
more time. And will you open the window to his room?"

About 5 minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the
hospital and extended it's ladder up to Ben's third floor open
window ----16 fire fighters climbed the ladder into Ben's room.
With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him
and told him how much they LOVED him.

With his dying breath, Ben looked up at the fire chief and said,

"Chief, am I really a fireman now ?

"Ben, you are, and the Head Chief, Jesus is holding your hand,"
the O.I.C. said. With these words, Ben smiled and said, "I know.
He's been holding my hand all day, and the angels have been
singing. He closed his eyes one last time.
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English is a Crazy Language.

There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger.
Neither apple or pine in pineapple.
English muffins were not invented in England, or
French Fries in France.
Sweetmeats are candies, while sweetbreads, which
aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted.
But if we explore at's paradoxes, we find that
quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a
guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write, but fingers don't fing,
grocers don't groce, and hammers don't ham?
If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the
plural of booth beeth ?
One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese ?
One index, two indices ? Is cheese the
plural of choose ?

If teachers taught, why don't preachers praught ?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does
a humanitarian eat ?
In what language do people recite at a play, and
play at a recital.

Ship by truck, and send cargo by ship ?
Have noses that run, and feet that smell ?
Park on driveways, and drive on parkways ?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same ,
while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites ?
How can the weather be hot as hell one day
and cold as hell another ?

When a house burns up, it burns down.
You fill in a form by filling it out, and an
alarm clock goes off by going on.

When thhe stars are out, they are visible, but when the
lights are out, they are invisible.
And why, when I wind my watch, I start it,
but when I wind up this essay, I end it ?
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More Kooky English Language- - - -

If lawyers are disbarred, and clergymen defrocked, doesn't
it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted,
cowboys deranged, models deposed and dry-cleaners depressed?

Laundry workers could decrease, eventually becoming depressed
and depleted. Even more, bedmakers will be debunked, baseball
players will be debased, landscapers will be deflowered, bulldozer
operators will be degraded, organ donors will be delivered,
software engineers will be detested, the BVD company will be
debriefed, and even musical composers will eventually decompose.

Perhaps we can hope politicians will be devoted.
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Maxims for the Internet Age.

The e-mail of the species is more deadly than the mail.
A journey of 1000 sites begins with a single click.
You can't teach a new mouse old clicks.
Great groups from little icons grow.
Speak softly and carry a cellular phone.
Too many clicks spoil the browse.
A chat has nine lives.
Don't byte off more than you can view.
Fax is stranger than fiction.
What bbots up must come down.
Windows will never cease.
In Gates we trust (and our tender is legal.)
Virtual reality is it's own reward.
Modulation in all things.
There's no place like http:/www.home.com
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day;
teach him to use the Net and he won't bother you
for weeks.
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Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.
- - - John F, Kennedy.

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose.
- - - - Kris Kristofferson.

Animals are such agreeable friends---they ask no
questions and they pass no criticisma.
- - - - George Eliot.

The best thing about the future is that it comes only
one day at a time. - - -Abraham Lincoln.

You are surrounded by gifts every living moment of every day.
Let yourself feel appreciation for their presence in your life
and take the time to acknowledge their splendour
- - - -Lon Nungesser.

Bye now folks, stay well, be happy and keep warm or cool,
and have great week ahead. Best wishes and Love to all, Merle.

Post 225 - - - - - Sunday, 10th June, 2007.
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