THE BARBADOS FIRE SERVICES bigged me up awhile ago, with a hot award for the many special features I have worked on, in which I did my best to raise public consciousness about fire safety and gave some insight into the work of the brave men and women who performed jobs that few of us would undertake.

But I am by no means the only writer who has covered or promoted the work of the Barbados Fire Service, so I take the media award as something not only for me, but on behalf of my colleagues as well. Thanks.

A former fire chief once wrote a letter thanking me for the "professional, efficient and pleasant manner" in which I conducted myself while writing a fire safety feature. Who tell he do dat! My then manager/editor (no name to protect the guilty) decided this was evidence that "men in uniform liked Dawn".

This allegation was in no way relieved as I then did a Police Week and Prison Week feature which also pleased the officers I had dealt with.

This led to the same boss teasing me, when I came back from the then prison at Glendairy "So you liked any of the men in uniform".

I laughed and replied: "Well, the Acting Super cuts a fine figure, but I think he's married."

The reply: "Oh, I didn't mean the officers. The prisoners wear uniforms too you know!"

You see what I have to put up with?

But it's all good. We work hard, but we have fun and there is a lot of teasing and joking. Good for stress busting!

I'm not someone who has received many awards.
If I entered more competitions I just might. I got two Barbados Association Of Journalist's Awards for Outstanding Social Commentary columns; and then a Silver Award for a short story called Blood Sugar in NIFCA; and won a poetry prize. Congrats
to the new BAJ's awardees.

Two awards I never got were for stopping indoor smoking at both newspapers . . . but there's still time.
I have also been told I was the most prolific writer at both papers. A former editor used to refer to me as "the writing machine". I didn't know if to be flattered or insulted.

I also believe I am one of or the longest writing, living female columnists in this paper (1979-1991 and 2000-present; and I also wrote columns in the other paper 1991-1998. And I have no children to collect awards when I kick the bucket, so posthumous ones would be meaningless.

This week I will get a Perfect Attendance Award for not having had a single sick day or any sick leave for the past year. I am proud of that at my age and with my health risks and some really big hairy stress in my life.

But my real rewards come from you readers. When you read, smile, frown, scheeeuuups, talk about, discuss, argue, rant and rave, cut out, cut up, call and compliment or criticise me, or email, or say hi to me when you see me. It's all good.

  Dawn Morgan is a NATION senior writer who wrote and printed her school newsletter
since she was 13; and first wrote for newspapers when she was sweet 16. Phone 430-5495.
Email dawnmorgan@nationnews.com.