I just want to say thank you

I have had a great time working at the Creston News Advertiser, and I have met a lot of amazing people. I will miss everyone at the Creston Fire Department, Union County Law Enforcement Center, Creston City Council, here at the office and everyone in between.

I just wanted to say thank you to the Creston News Advertiser for giving me this opportunity, and thank you to everyone in Creston and the surrounding areas for being so accepting of me. It really has been a great experience.

Now, for my last column, I have to give the firefighters some credit.

I recently had the opportunity to climb the ladder on the ladder truck at the Creston Fire Department, and even though I'm afraid of heights, I accepted the challenge.

I'll admit, I was a little nervous standing at the fire station, watching the firefighters setting up the truck and extending the ladder. The nerves set in a little more as they strapped a safety belt around me and showed me how to work the buckle.

They told me if I got scared, to attach the safety belt buckle anywhere on the ladder, then they would come get me and help me down.

The climb up the ladder wasn't bad, at all. It was actually really fun, and I did make it to the top. Looking down from that height was definitely a different perspective.

Coming back down the ladder however, was a different story. You can't turn around and come back down the ladder, so it makes it a little more difficult to see where you are going.

I was really glad to have one of the firefighters following me up, and then back down, the ladder, because I probably wouldn't have known what to do when I reached the top. On the way back down, they were behind me the entire way, told me to take it nice and slow going back down and where my steps would change on the ladder. Even though they were there helping me, my legs started shaking about halfway down.