BY PEDRO CÁCERES
After completing the Indiana Smoke Diver program (a sister course to the Georgia Smoke Diver course started by Indiana firefighters who had completed the Georgia program), I was commonly asked, "Did you think it was worth it?" My answer was, emphatically, "Yes!" Every second of the training, the drills, the workouts, and the lessons was a revelation. However, I found it harder to explain everything I thought and felt while preparing for and finally completing the challenge. This accomplishment means something different to everyone who successfully completes it because the value of our accomplishments does not come from what we achieve but rather from the work and sacrifices we make to achieve our goals. So, what did my achievement mean to me?
In 2010, I entered the Georgia Smoke Diver course line for the first time. I failed because I was overconfident and not well prepared mentally; it started with the fact that I didn't even know why I was there. Perhaps it was the lure of the black T-shirt or the idea that, somehow, this program would magically make me "cool." Or, maybe the course would make me better than others. These were all the wrong reasons to take on this challenge.
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