Not every shift gives you a good partner.
But when you get one, you know.
It’s not about perfection. It’s about working with someone who moves like they already know where you’re going. The kind of partner who hands you the BVM before you ask. Who tosses you a glove mid call when yours rips. Who doesn’t need to fill the silence, but always knows when to break it.
They’re the ones who carry more than their half of the call.
The ones who get it, even if they never say it out loud.
I’ve had partners who kept me laughing at 2am when I didn’t think I had another laugh in me.
Partners who let me rant, or cry, or stay quiet, without needing to fix it.
Partners who knew when to let me sit in the truck, and when to join me.
Sometimes, a good partner is someone you’ve known for years. Other times, it’s someone you just met who somehow feels like they’ve always had your back.
I’ve worked with new hires who taught me a lot more than I expected, and old guard who taught me to lead with calmness.
Some of my best friends started as unknown people, unknown partners, heading into unknown situations.
I’ve been incredibly lucky.
And it’s not just on the road.
The good ones show up in classrooms too.
The instructors who stay late with me to run scenarios.
The ones who text you after a rough day.
The ones who believe in students even when they’re still learning to believe in themselves.
I’ve taught beside people who made me better just by how they showed up.
People who reminded me that education isn’t about being right, it’s about being with.
That’s what the good partners do.
They make the bad calls bearable, and the good calls even better.
They don’t need praise.
But I think they deserve it.
So if I’ve ever worked with you, taught with you, laughed with you in the back of a truck or on scene;
If we’ve shared a long night, a hard patient, or just a quiet understanding;
Thank you.
You made it better.
Ghosts of the Navigator 