The Fire Within The Keys

The Fire Within The Keys

Kevin Parra

10/03/2022

When I was young, I was rarely social with anyone. I did not have great social skills and had a fixed mind that anybody would judge me for who I was. I am the type of person who would be picked last for Dodgeball or be the kid who sits at a table with his lunch all by himself. I always feel like I do not fit in or that I am not made to be part of a group. It was difficult for me to do simple tasks that numerous people could do, such as presenting myself in front of many people or talking to someone I had not met. I overlook these tasks and see everyone as people who are better than me, who are more confident, social, and bold. It was one of my most challenging struggles.
Usually, I try to isolate myself from groups of people to avoid being brought up; but as time passed, I realized that I cannot keep up with this behavior forever. I knew that the issue would get worse if I kept repeating this habit. I also did not want to disappoint my family by seeing their child with low self-esteem and no socializing experience. I needed to face my social anxiety and struggles to eliminate my bad habits and change myself into a better and productive person. It was time to get out of my comfort zone.
One day, a friend of mine went up to me and recommended a community to join during our years in high school. The community he recommended was at a Fire Station in the Keys of Florida. They had a program for students to become a Fire explorer, which is a short-term for volunteering as a firefighter. I decided to join without asking any questions because I saw this as an opportunity to step out of my shell, express myself, and become a more sociable person.
As I joined the program, I got to see what really goes on in a department of brave men and women who risk their lives every day to keep the community safe and growing. It has opened my eyes to the real Miami culture. They build a culture that not only helps ensure the safety of the residents, but a culture that creates connections, encourages integrity, and thrives on ethical behaviors. At first, I was a bit nervous to meet up with the firefighters because I always thought they were aggressive and serious people since they undergo excessive training and have a very dangerous job. But all the firefighters and cadets greeted me with open arms and positive attitudes. It was the first time I felt welcomed by a group of people.
Everyone around the Keys was so polite and kind to each other; it was incredible to see a bonding society. They enjoy bringing people together for events and accept anyone as part of the community, no matter where they came from or who they are. The people had a strong connection with the firefighters and the culture. I remember when the fire department was hosting a holiday event for Christmas, and I volunteered to help set it up. It was the time when I got to be closer with the cadets and connect with the community to express myself without having any doubts that someone would judge me. During the event, we gave gifts to the ones in need, walked in a parade with our fire truck decorated with Christmas lights, and brought people together to share dinner as a family, which was our favorite part of the event. We would either talk about our life stories and backgrounds or crack some jokes to laugh at. It was truly a heartwarming moment of bonding with the community.
But the fire department wasn’t all about bringing people together or connecting ourselves with the culture. The department challenges people to push themselves beyond their limits to reach high goals and achieve success. This does not necessarily apply only to a firefighter's job, but it also applies to us when we are outside of the fire department.
In the fire station, we had our chief, Mikey, who was going to be our coach and would be guiding us through the program. He usually put us through a daily routine of physical training courses requiring active thinking and teamwork. Mikey had every aspect of great leadership. He had the ability to lead and inspire the team to put our hardest work into our training, even if we had a loss of motivation. Normally, after finishing half of our training, we tend to be exhausted and feel like we cannot do anything anymore; however, Mikey refuses to let that tiredness hold us down from getting to the finish line. He helped us push beyond our limits and strengthen our skills to put our maximum effort into achieving our goals.
He was my idol because he showed me that I could get over my struggles if I pushed myself with enough hard work and dedication. I was determined that I could overcome my timid struggles and become a better version of myself to strive for success and help others who are struggling as well. To do that, I needed to adapt the skills Mikey had and practice them in our course training.
One day, I was put into a group with my members and had a training test. Our task was to run up the stairs, in the fire station, to the top of the building, and run back down while we carried a heavy bag that more than one person could only carry. Halfway done with our exercise, I saw my team getting exhausted and were barely keeping up with each other, making us lose balance with the bag. I did not want them to lose their energy since it would make us uncoordinated with our formation, so I got closer to my team and motivated them. I broke through my timid mind and motivated them to keep pushing until we reached the end. I even yelled at them; not in a hateful way, but in a powerful way to encourage them to work harder and not give up. As we finished the exercise, I congratulated my team for doing their best and putting a good effort into it. I was proud that I finally challenged myself to get out of my comfort zone and share the motivation I had with others. I owe this to Mikey because he sparked the fire inside of me in the first place. I did not know if I had the courage to yell at my team because I thought they would look at me weirdly or not get the motivation they need to push harder with the bag. However, seeing what Mikey could do to inspire his team, I knew I could do the same to my team as well.
From there, I started to see a big impact on myself and realized how much the Fire department had helped me with my personal development. The bonds they had with the community, the challenges they pushed each other to do, and the cultures they built in the fire station gave me a wonderful experience to remember and cherish. Not only did it get me to overcome my struggles, but it got me to be connected with people on my side of Miami and contribute to them, just like what I did in the Keys. It also gave me a vision of what I want to achieve in the future; to become an efficient leader in a community and motivate people to reach high goals and to never give up, just like Mikey. I am grateful for the opportunity that I was given to be a part of a team that is there for the community and each other, no matter what obstacles we face in our journey. If it were not for my friend who recommended this opportunity, I would not be the person that I am today.