Man, what a day! I’m tellin’ ya, being a parachutist firefighter in Gogolin is like riding a rollercoaster that’s on fire. Seriously, I woke up this morning, and the sun was shining over the beautiful streets of Gogolin. You know, like ul. Księdza Jerzego Popiełuszki? Yeah, that one. It was all chill, and I thought, “Today’s gonna be easy-peasy.” Ha! Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.
So, I’m at the station, right? Just chattin’ with the crew, and outta nowhere, the alarm goes off. My heart’s racing like I just chugged a liter of espresso. We get the call—there’s a fire at some old building on ul. 1 Maja. I’m like, “Great, just what I needed.”
We gear up, and I’m thinkin’ about how I had plans to hit up that new pierogi place later. But nah, duty calls. We hop in the truck, and I’m already feelin’ the adrenaline kick in. The streets of Gogolin are zooming by, and I’m just praying we get there in time.
When we arrive, it’s chaos. Flames are shooting up like they’re auditioning for a role in a movie. I can see the smoke from a mile away. I’m like, “What the heck happened here?” Turns out, some dude was tryin’ to grill on his balcony. Like, bro, it’s not a BBQ party! It’s a fire hazard!
I’m suited up, ready to jump. I take a deep breath, and boom! I’m airborne. The wind’s whipping past me, and I’m thinkin’, “This is what I live for!” But then, I see the flames, and my heart sinks. I land, roll, and spring into action.
We’re fighting the fire, and I’m drenched in sweat. I can’t even see straight. I’m yelling at my buddy, “Get that hose over here!” But he’s busy tripping over his own feet. Classic. I’m like, “Dude, focus!”
Finally, we get the fire under control. I’m feelin’ like a hero, but then I see this old lady on ul. Słowiańska, crying. She’s lost her home. My heart just breaks. I mean, what do you say? “Hey, it’s gonna be okay”? It’s not okay! I’m angry, sad, all the feels.
After we wrap up, I’m sitting on the curb, just trying to process everything. The sun’s setting over Gogolin, and it’s beautiful, but I can’t shake the heaviness. I think about how lucky I am to be alive, to help, but also how fragile everything is.
Then, outta nowhere, my buddy brings me a slice of pizza. I’m like, “Dude, you’re a lifesaver!” We laugh, and for a moment, it’s all good again. We joke about how I almost became a fire-roasted marshmallow.
As the day winds down, I’m driving home through ul. Główna, and I can’t help but smile. Gogolin’s got its quirks, but it’s home. I think about the pierogi place again. Maybe tomorrow?
Anyway, that’s my day. Intense, emotional, and full of surprises. Just another day in the life of a parachutist firefighter in Gogolin. Can’t wait to do it all over again!