Another reason why

How many people can say they truly love their job? Most people I talk to don't love their jobs at all. For most people work is a necessary evil to be able to make ends meet and pay the bills.

I can't just settle on a job that is a necessary evil. I am not a person that settles for anything. I am a hard working, dedicated and loyal and I look for the same in a future employer.

I am not happy sitting behind a desk for 8 hours a day. Breathing the same air conditioned air, staring at the same neutral colored walls, watching the day time pass by out a window is no way for me to spend a day. I need to be out working in that sun, sweating, getting dirty, blistering my hands. I want a job that gives me not only a mental challenge, but a physical one as well. I want a job that is ever changing, where I have to be a constant student, always training and anticipating what will come next.

When I set my mind to something I get great satisfaction of completing said task. When I am held responsible for a job I make sure it is something I can be proud with turning in.

I was taught by my parents that you get a job and keep that job. My dad worked for over 25 years for the same employer, my mom is still working for the same person that hired her at the age of 15. When I get a job it is for the long term. I want a job that is going to be around in the future. I want a job that is something to be proud of, something that it is easy to want to perform for. I want something that is rewarding, that makes me feel like I have accomplished real work. I want to work on a team, communicating and compromising our way to a solution.

Not many people find what they are looking for in a job. I have talked to people in their 50's that still don't know what they want to be when they grow up. That saddens me and I don't want to end up like that. I am so happy to have found something that I feel like fits me as well as I fit it. Something that I choose on my own and not something I settle for. Something that gives me a cross to believe in and stand up for.

The number 1 reason why...

Why would anyone in there right mind want to risk it all for complete strangers? The implied answer is because they enjoy it and want to help people. Well, duh. Tip for interviewing, don't ever answer the question of why you want to become a firefighter with the cookie cutter answer of you want to save people. Well no shit! I sure hope you aren't getting into firefighting because you like to watch people die!

So anyway, why would a fairly capable and fairly smart individual choose to be a firefighter? When everyone else is running from a certain situation why would anyone want to be the one to go against the flow of people and head into danger? I look at all the brave first responders at the 9/11 building collapses and see so many examples of masses of people running away while a honorable group of people were fighting against the crowds and debris so they could die doing their job. Which brings up another great point, why would anyone want to die for their job?

Everyone has there own reasons. A lot of them are probably similar, and everyone probably has a few that is on no one else's list. My list is very long and I will attempt to discuss my reasons why as time goes on. If anything just to remind myself of why I am doing this.

So the number one, top of the list, reason why I am doing this is my daughters. Might seem weird at first, especially because I had a hard time growing up with a firefighter as a father. But time passed and I understood what it was all about. I am sure the girls will figure it out some day too. My girls are pretty much my reason for living. Ok, not pretty much they ARE my reason for living. My wife deserves some credit for keeping me alive too, but without those girls I don't know that I would care what I was. With those girls I have a purpose greater than myself. I am not religious, nor do I care to be, so I guess these girls are my god. I answer to them ultimately. Any good or bad I do I will ultimately have to stand in front of them for judgment. Which makes me want to do good things. They make me want to accomplish something in my life. They make me want to be something to be proud of. I don't need to be a hero to anyone, outside of my house. I have a direct desire to be a hero, the all powerful, big, strong, invincible dad that story tellers talk about. Not to anyone else, just to those girls. There is a clear burden with this philosophy and that is there is a huge amount of risk with this job. I won't always be invincible and wont' always be the hero in every situation. But I don't doubt, that at the end of the day if I have tried my hardest and done my best I will be a hero to those girls. My number one reason to be a firefighter is also gives me my number one job once I become one.

I am studying and working my ass off to be the best firefighter I can be. So that once I become one I already have the mind frame of hard work, and dedication to my training. Because ultimately, once I am hired on a department, my number one reason for wanting to become a firefighter changes to my number one job as a firefighter. Making sure I get home every morning so I can kiss and hug those girls.