This is a public service announcement for all past, present and future hippies; for those who were never hippies, were contemptuous of hippies, or don’t know what hippies are; for those who abandoned their hippie ways to became doctors, lawyers and Indian chiefs; for those intent on becoming doctors, lawyers and Indian chiefs, and for all the butchers, bakers and candlestick makers swept up in the current of life full of stress and worry:
Slow down, you move too fast
You got to make the morning last
Just kicking down the cobblestones
Looking for fun and feeling groovy
Bad da-da da-da da-da, feeling groovy
Hello lamppost, what’cha knowing
I’ve come to watch your flowers growin’
Ain’t you got no rhymes for me?
Doo-ait-n-doo-doo, feeling groovy
Ba da-da da-da da-da, feeling groovy
I got no deeds to do, no promises to keep
I’m dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me
Life, I love you, all is groovy.
The 59th St Bridge Song : Paul Simon ( Simon and Garfunkel)
When the pager sounds, the message has yet to be: “Cookies at Grandma’s. Bring your friends.” But almost without fail every month there will be a mental health call of one form or another. Life in this ever-changing, fast-paced world can be overwhelming. Sometimes the decisions we make get us into the pickles we find ourselves; sometimes life just T-bones us. Either way, stress is still stress. How we respond to stress makes all the difference. As Grandma would often say, “Worrying is like rocking in a rocking chair; it gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere.” If we have time to worry then we have time to relax. It’s a matter of the thoughts we choose to embrace. Believe it or not, it is a choice and repeated choices become habits.
Most people drown, not because they don’t know how to swim but because they panic, thrash around wildly and don’t control their breathing. If they would stop thrashing, remain calm and control their breathing they would simply float, even if they don’t know how to swim. It is the same with the stress and worries of life. Anyone of us can make the time to control our breathing “skip down the cobblestone, talk to the lamppost, and watch the flowers grow”…if we choose to. Even five minutes of calm is better than a day of nothing but stress and worry. After all, a pair of deuces beats a king-high nothing every time. Take the time to take care of yourself.
During the month of March the members of Hampton Fire Company responded to nine emergency dispatches, attended two training sessions and two administrative meetings, prepared and attended an annual Service Awards dinner for the members and their families. Length of service award was presented to Mike Bernard – 30 years. Top Responder awards, in order, went to Al Ameer, Rick Nichols, Noel Waite, Dave DeMontigny and Jeff Stoddard. Firehouse Dog received extra ear scratches for not pooping in the truck.
A bit over 150 man hours were logged. And the pager sounds.
Fire House Dog.