Be Aware

When I worked at one of my many jobs twenty some odd years ago, I was the assistant to the school nurse at a daycare center in a nearby town. The children ranged in ages from 6 months to 6 years old and I was fortunate to wear many hats while working there (although toilet bowl cleaning for preschoolers was not a very pleasant sombrero to wear). One year we had a visit from our local NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife organization, someone from my center had to dress up as Smokey The Bear (they provided the costume, and I was chosen) while the forest ranger spoke about the dangers of fire in our parks, campsites, forests and homes I donned the suit and assumed the role of this cherished mascot. The children were frightened at first by my immense size, but slowly warmed up to my presence and accepted me as a role model by the end of the presentation. I’d like to think that they carried this image and speech by an authoritative person and loving icon into their adulthood and have become conscientious young adults when it comes to carelessness and protection of our national treasures, that are beaming with nature and wildlife (I know I did). So please everyone be mindful of your surroundings, there are fields burning, marshes, houses, brush and many other wildfires from coast to coast because of very dry conditions (we need some significant rainfall). Keep safe everyone, and keep healthy and fit by being aware!