subject: How 10 Meter Radio Proves That You Can Still Make A Difference [print this page] We can't change the fact that we all get older. For the majority of us, aging is a slow process that we hope can pass and still leave our dignity intact. As the years pass, we become less and less physically active and we tend to acquire new interests which aren't as physically demanding.
Some people can take the aging process easily, however others have difficulty adjusting to the slowing down, and feel that they are no longer useful, this causes feelings of bitterness and melancholy, especially if this slowing down happens too soon.
Mark Greening had more difficulty accepting this slowing down than others. Mark had been a courageous firefighter in Birmingham, one of the largest cities in England, before he suffered an accident in a fire. Mark made a remarkable recovery, after many surgeries and skin grafts, and could get around with only a minor limp, however it was obvious that his firefighting days were over, and eventually packed up the family and made his way to the USA for a fresh start.
Like many other immigrants they sank their money into a business and devoted their entire being into making their mark on America. They toiled day and night, and eventually built a dilapidated old pet store into a successful business, however as time pressed on Mark discovered that despite everything he did he would never get to the same level of fitness he enjoyed before, and he sank once again into depression.
The son and daughter who adored their father started to shy away, and even his life partner was finding it difficult to break through. Even though Mark worked hard, and loved his family, there was always a void in his life. He felt that he wasn't useful anymore. After many years of being a hero, having a pet store just wasn't cutting it.
Mark had Deborah in his corner, and Deborah found the solution.
While he was not able to climb ladders and save lives, he was still able to sit and listen, so Deborah got him a radio. At first it was just a mobile CB radio for their family car, and a CB base station for the store. She explained to Mark that she wanted to touch base with him as he made deliveries. Soon, she was able to sneak one into the house, and as she had thought, Mark took a shine to it.
He went on to become a member of the local CB community, and started to distribute information about traffic jams and road conditions, and he began to come out of his funk. He sometimes tuned into transmissions from other stations far away, and Deborah talked him into getting his Technicians license. With license in hand, he bought a more powerful transceiver.
Now Mark is a proud member of ARES, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and a SKYWARN veteran. He routinely listens in for emergency transmissions and then passes on the details.
Mark may not be able to do the tough physical jobs of before, however thanks to the power of the radio, he is still a productive member of society.
