smell of home

Despite the 7am start time, when I go to work, there is always that exciting rise in adrenaline soon as I walk through the bay doors. It's the combination of the familiar smell of axle grease, truck wash soap, bleach, and windex. And the smell of fire. I know when the previous crew had a fire because the scent of smoke still lingers in the bunker gear. That smell is addictive. And we'll gather around the coffee maker as we tag off with the other crew asking for details about the call hoping that we'll get a fire call to attend to as well. It's not that we wish that the city burn down.... it's just that we hope it's our shift on duty when it does. And each and every time I start a shift, my heart skips a beat for what the shift might bring. Ask any firefighter. It's the best job in the world. As I've said before, don't pinch me.