(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



A Transgender Ex-Firefighter Talks About Cookies [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-06-30

Cookies? Cookies this time? Why is the transgender ex-firefighter talking about cookies? It makes sense to talk about tacos, or even Easter Eggs, but cookies?

I wasn’t planning on writing about cookies. It had never occurred to me to write about cookies. I can’t believe I am writing about cookies! I don’t WANT to be writing about cookies. I don’t. I really don’t. There are some things that shouldn’t ever have to be written about.

If you have already figured out where this one is going, I’m sorry. It’s a place I never imagined having to go. If you haven’t yet figured out where this one is going, I’m sorry. It’s a place no one should ever have to imagine going. But here we are…

Firefighting is not nearly as dangerous a profession as most people believe. It’s dangerous; don’t get me wrong! Firefighters put themselves in ridiculously dangerous situations as a matter of course. Let’s be honest; that’s WHY a lot of us signed up to do it! But, between the training, the equipment, and the dedication and camaraderie of one’s fellow firefighters, it’s not nearly as dangerous as it appears. You’re pitting your bravery, your determination, your quickness of thought and action, your skill, and your sheer stubborn unwillingness to be anything other than successful against an unthinking, unfeeling, remorseless literal force of nature. We try to be humble about it, but, seriously… I can’t think of much of anything more likely to create a bunch of cocky bastards. Every experienced firefighter I knew was a cocky bastard. I liked that about them, being one myself. Most of us had enough sense to hide it most of the time though.

The best part though? Firefighters are almost universally looked at as “the good guys “! There simply aren’t many times you roll up on a scene and anyone, ANYONE!, isn’t happy to see you. You get used to that. You arrive; people are happy! Or, at least, relieved. Usually both! You’re usually greeted with smiles and thanks and appreciation… not bullets. Not bullets. No, not bullets…

I can’t imagine what was going through those guys minds. We’re the GOOD GUYS DAMMIT! How can this be happening? How can this be? It shouldn’t be happening! It shouldn’t be! It shouldn’t.

But it happened yesterday near Couer d’Alene. I remember during the Siege of Sarajevo when the world was aghast that Serbian snipers were targeting firefighters and EMS personnel responding to calls. That was inconceivable to most of us. It could never happen here! Inconceivable!

But… here we are.

When a firefighter goes down in the line of duty, it is a blow to every firefighter in the country. We all know it CAN happen; you just don’t REALLY believe it. Then it happens, and your cockiness is forced to come to grips with the ugly reality that it can and does happen. This though…

As I said in a comment last night, this didn’t happen because they weren’t brave enough or quick enough or smart enough or dedicated enough, it happened specifically because they WERE brave enough and quick enough and smart enough and dedicated enough to be willing to risk risking it all for their community. I never met these guys. I don’t know if they were good people. I DO know that they were THE BEST of people.

So… cookies. Remember I said I was going to talk about cookies? Could be brownies though. Or cupcakes. It doesn’t really matter. There’s a whole bunch of people all around the country right now who are wondering today if ANYTHING really matters. Please… tell them it does. Go by your local fire station, and tell them it does! Cookies are great, but so are any of the above. Hell, put the whole station into the world’s greatest sugar high! Don’t talk politics. Don’t talk guns! Not at the fire station. At city hall? Hell yes! At the fire station? Just let them know they matter.

So… that’s the ex-firefighter view on cookies. How about the transgender view? Word for word the same.

Word for word the same.

Soaked Ferret

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/6/30/2331008/-A-Transgender-Ex-Firefighter-Talks-About-Cookies?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/