Emergency!

Emergency! DVD Wallpaper

When this post goes live, I’ll likely be waiting in line at the courthouse. I’m scheduled for jury duty. They do this to me once every number of years. This’ll be the fourth time I’ve been “called” to fulfill my “civic duty.” But if I’m impaneled, it’ll only have been the second time I’ll have served on a jury. And no matter how it goes, I hope I’ll at least get a good story out of it.

In the meantime, my Beloved and I have been overindulging via Netflix on Emergency!, which is an updated version of the 1970’s classic Chicago Fire— Wait. Stop. Reverse that.

I was actually impressed that so many of the new generation have enjoyed this old show.

My brother the real-life paramedic reports that he knows a bunch of people who love this show, even find it motivating.

Emergency! convention cast, 1998, via EmergencyFans.com

Me, it reminds me of the importance of working your calling. The topic of “Why become a fireman?” comes up in all of these shows. And the answer is always, “because it’s in your blood.” I don’t know how true that actually is. It appears, most successful people make their job into their calling, rather than finding a job that reflects their “passion.”

Nonetheless, I do think it’s important to work your calling, that is, to be the person God made you to be. This occurred to me in a recent conversation, in which we were talking about certain people who have developed extraordinary careers. And the question was raised: Would you like to have the life they have? No, I don’t think I would, because along with the greatness comes a torrent of suffering. And I don’t think I’d be up to the suffering part. They got to where they were because they were working their calling. When you’re working your calling, you find the hope that sees you through the suffering to the greatness.

What does any of this have to do with Emergency!? Watching fictional rescue workers reminds me of that truth.

Emergency! coloring book

Another Emergency! coloring book

But I’m still impressed with the breadth of the show’s fandom.

The coolest online post I ran across was from someone who had found a series of Emergency! coloring books from 1977. I don’t think I’ll be coloring these pages anytime soon. But they’re still cool to look at.

Much of the medical technology featured regularly on the show was on cutting-edge of the time.

And occasionally, we’ll even see a medical idea that has since been overturned. For example, in one episode, a patient with a peptic ulcer was ruminating on the question, “What was so stressful about my job?” The doctors went right along with it. In the 1980’s, it was established that most peptic ulcers are caused by a bacterial infection, not by stress.

On the other hand, part of me completely understands the fandom. I love watching them ride the fire truck, with the siren going.

-TimK