Confidence - Tales from Bark Mountain

 This Tales from Bark Mountain podcast is about building your confidence, and what it looks and feels like for a firefighter.

This episode is about Jake, the newest firefighter at the Bark Mountain Fire Department. He’s eager to learn, works hard every day, and dreams of becoming the kind of firefighter others can count on.

But even the best firefighters make mistakes.

Sometimes one small mistake can make us question everything we thought we were capable of. It can shake our confidence and make us wonder if we’re really good enough.
Some narratives we create for ourselves are not always truthful, and sometimes we need family and friends to help us see the light.

This Tales from Bark Mountain episode was created and narrated by Steve Serbic

Music from Bensound.com

License code: JOMKAMTPZ2OJIAIF

Artist: : Benjamin Tissot

Check out goosethefiredog.com for pictures and more stories 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Welcome to another tale from Bark Mountain. Jake was the newest firefighter in the Bark Mountain Fire Department. He was proud to wear the uniform, proud to ride on Engine 11, and very proud to stand beside the firefighters he had looked up to since he had started. But being the newest rookie wasn't easy. Every day there was something new to learn. New tools, new equipment, new procedures, and always doing a new drill. The other firefighters made everything look so easy, and Jake wondered if he would ever feel that confident. On one rainy afternoon, the alarm bells sounded throughout the fire hall. Engine eleven, smoke reported inside the train station washroom. Within seconds, Engine eleven and the crew were racing through Bark Mountain towards the train station. When they arrived, Jake robbed all of his equipment, jumped out of the truck, and hurried towards the entrance with the rest of the firefighters. Then he reached down to put on his breathing mask. His heart sank. His safety clip wasn't attached. Somehow as he climbed out of the fire truck, his breathing mask had slipped free from his air pack and fallen onto the ground beside the fire truck. Jake ran back and quickly picked up his breathing mask. He clipped it back where it belonged, checked everything twice, and safely put on his air pack and his breathing mask before entering the building. There was a small fire in the washroom, but it was quickly put out, and everybody returned outside safely. As they packed up their equipment, Forrest looked over at Jake and smiled. Happens more than you think, he said. Tom nodded. I've done it. So have I, said Izzy. Then Red laughed. I think every firefighter standing here has forgotten to clip their mask on at least once. Fire Chief Steve even smiled and said, I've forgotten my safety clip for my air mask more than once. All the firefighters at Bark Mountain knew little mistakes like that happen when you're learning. That's why we always double check our equipment before going into dangerous places, Dazzle said. The firefighters had moved on and started talking about something else. Everyone had moved on except for Jake. He couldn't stop thinking about it. Even though everyone had told him it wasn't a big deal, he kept playing that mistake over and over in his mind. As they drove back to the fire hall, the newest firefighter sat quietly in the back staring out the window. He didn't say a word. When they arrived at the fire hall, everyone climbed out, some were laughing and telling stories, and they all walked into the kitchen. Everyone except for Jake. He stayed sitting in the back of Engine eleven, looking down, looking tired, and looking sad. A few moments later, firefighter Izzy walked by. She leaned against the fire truck door. Hey, Jake. Jake looked up. Yeah? You okay? Jake shrugged. I guess. Izzy smiled gently. That's usually what people say when they're not okay. Jake stared at the floor as he sighed. I don't think I'm ever gonna be good at this, he said. Izzy climbed into the firetruck and sat beside him. What makes you think that? she said. Jake rubbed his hands together. Every call we go on, everyone knows exactly what to do. The chimney fire, the car accident, the gas leak, the medical call yesterday. You all just know what to do. Jake shook his head. I don't feel very smart. I keep asking lots of questions, and I still don't understand a lot of things. I don't even understand what half the equipment does. And then today I forgot to clip my breathing mask onto my air pack. I almost walked into a train station without it. He swallowed hard. I keep making mistakes. And to be honest, sometimes I don't even know what tool to grab when we go to calls. He looked down at the ground again, his eyes were welling up with tears. I feel like everyone else is a firefighter, and I'm just pretending. For that moment Izzy didn't say anything. She just sat beside Jake and smiled. Okay, she said. Jake looked up, confused. Okay? Izzy laughed. You think you're the first firefighter who's ever felt this way? Jake blinked. I bet you didn't. Izzy laughed out loud. Jake, on my first day I put my gloves on backwards. Jake started to smile. No you didn't. I absolutely did, Izzy said. Then Forrest walked by and said, What are you two talking about? Jake thinks he's not doing a very good job, Izzy said. Forrest burst out laughing. Now that's funny, Jake frowned. What's so funny about that? Because we're all saying the exact opposite, Forrest said. Before Jake could respond, Tom now stepped into the truck bay. Dinner's ready. Dinner? Jake responded. Tom grinned. Yes, Jake, it's on the table. Let's go. As everybody walked into the kitchen, Jake followed them inside. Soon the entire crew sat at the big wooden table. The smell of spaghetti filled the room. Goose the Fire Dog lay under the table hoping someone would drop something. Tonight, maybe it would be a meatball. The firefighters laughed and shared stories from old calls. Then Fire Chief Steve stood up. He tapped his fork against his glass. The room became quiet and everybody looked at him. I've got something important to say, he said. The chief smiled and looked at Jake. It's about our newest firefighter. Jake immediately wished he could disappear, as Fire Chief Steve continued. Jake feels he's not doing a very good job, Fire Chief Steve said. The table erupted with groans. Oh no, not this again. Will someone please tell him? Jake looked around confused. Red spoke first. Remember that brush fire last week, Jake? Jake nodded. You spotted that hot spot that everyone else missed. Then Forrest spoke. And during the gas leak call, you noticed there was a family dog still inside. Tom pointed at Jake across the table, and then you carried the dog out. The rest of us didn't even know there was a dog in there. That little girl wouldn't stop hugging you afterwards. Everyone laughed. Then Dazzle leaned forward and said, And yesterday during that medical call, you stayed with that scare little boy while paramedic Polly worked on him. You kept him calm, and Izzy smiled and said, He stopped crying because of you, Jake. Jake stared at everyone at the table. He'd forgotten all about those things. Or just maybe he hadn't thought they mattered. Jake, you know what new firefighters always get wrong? Jake shook his head. They think being a firefighter is about knowing everything. The fire chief paused before continuing. But it's not. It's about learning. It's about listening. It's about caring, and it's about showing up even when you don't feel confident. The room went very quiet. The best firefighters aren't the ones who never make mistakes, Fire Chief Steve said. They're the ones who learn from their mistakes and keep checking their equipment. They're the ones who ask lots of questions. And they're the ones who keep getting better and better, Fire Chief Steve said with a big smile on his face. You can teach someone how to pull hose. You can teach someone how to operate most of the fire engine tools. But you want to know what the hardest thing to teach is? Kindness. The chief pointed around the table. You already have that quality, Jake. That's the most important part of being a firefighter. Jake felt something warm inside his chest. For the first time in months, the weight he had been carrying felt lighter. A lot lighter. Later that night, after dinner was finished and the dishes were washed, Jake stood outside beside the fire trucks. The rain had stopped, the stars sparkled above Bark Mountain, and Goose sat beside him. Izzy stepped outside. Feeling better, she said. Jake smiled. Yeah, a lot better. Thank you, Izzy. He looked back at the fire hall as the firefighters were all laughing together inside. His crew, his friends. Those people saw good things in him when he couldn't see them in himself. And inside that Bark Mountain firehall, those firefighters knew this to be true. Everyone's confidence starts to build somewhere. Every expert was once a beginner. Every experienced firefighter was once a nervous rookie who wondered if they were good enough. Mistakes don't define us. What defines us is what we do after them. We learn, we grow, and we keep showing up because sometimes the hardest person to believe in is yourself.

SPEAKER_01 9:58

Thank you for listening. Please check out goostofiredog.com for more stories and pictures. Every Sunday the crew gathers around for another tale from Mark Mountain. Please join us. Good morning, good day, good night, little firefighters everywhere.