Just Enough to Be Dangerous

(Columbus, GA) Last night was like a homecoming for me. I spoke at the Region 7 Emergency Medical Services Awards Banquet at the Columbus Medical Center. In my former life I was an Emergency Medical Technician along with running a grocery store, a furniture store, and a couple of funeral homes. I went on to get an advanced certification (at the Columbus Medical Center) in emergency medical services and became a Cardiac Technician.

I always figured I was trained just enough to be dangerous. With the advanced certification, I now had the capability to push drugs. And I was always nervous about that because if I got the decimal point in the wrong place when I was figuring my dose of lidocaine, there would be some major consequences.

And I was also nervous because I always thought if I was having a heart attack and I looked up and the local undertaker was about to administer medication to me, I would have another heart attack. For that reason and maybe a couple of more reasons, I got out of the ambulance business. But not before I made a lot of ambulance calls and experienced more than a few crisis moments. As I look back, being a EMT was good for me. It was good for me because I have a huge appreciation for what these men and women do every day. And it was good for me because I made a lot of friends during my years working in this field.

So last night it was more than neat to be a part of honoring this great group of folks. And it was also neat spending some time with some folks I haven’t seen in a while.


“Neat” started when I pulled in a gas station in route to Columbus last night. My long time friend, Ben Hinson, pulled in right behind me. Ben is the owner of Mid Georgia Ambulance Service which employees about 200 people. I knew Ben in our early EMS days a long time before he became a successful businessman. Since he was going to the same banquet, I invited him to ride with me. Ben has more stories than I do. If there had been a third passenger in my car last night, he or she would have never gotten a word in between Ben and me. One thing is for sure, we had a blast. And it was just good.


When I arrived at the banquet, I ran into several people I have known in the ambulance business over the years from different west Central Georgia counties. It really was like homecoming to me. And I spent the evening sitting at the table with my long time Reynolds friends, Gary Lowe and family and Barbara Montgomery and her husband. (Barbara has re-married and for the life of me I cannot remember her new last name). Barbara was the widow of Russell Montgomery and was there to present the “Russell Montgomery Award” which is a prestigious award given every year at this banquet.


The Montgomerys and Gary Lowe (I have written about both here previously) went much further than me in the EMS field, but I spent a lot of hours with them at all hours of the night early on in their careers. It was great getting to spend some time with these real life heroes.

Just as I was trained just enough to be dangerous in EMS, I think the same is true for me as a speaker. I think I have spoken just enough to be dangerous. And when I have the microphone in front of a group where some of the most esteemed individuals in the group are long time friends of mine, they are in a dangerous situation.

I always tell my audiences when I began speaking to sit on the edge of their seats and to look alive cause I can tell certainly tell the difference. I think my long time friends I’ve mentioned here were already sitting on the edge of their seats.

But being the nice guy I am I let them off easy.

Last night was a special night for me and one I will remember for a long time.

Definitely a blog worthy night.