I’ve always wanted to help people. Sometimes I think my ego has gotten in the way of that a little bit. When I first declared journalism as a life goal, I convinced myself pretty easily it was a job that helped people as much as any other. I would be a government watchdog, protecting scores of people from any abuses of their governments. While a noble undertaking, I am starting to realize that the idea of this doesn’t quite satisfy the hunger for service inside me. And while seeing a byline (or two… or three…) on the front page of a newspaper every week has definitely been satisfying my ego, even I’m not fame-hungry enough to face a career of mediocrity and diluted service to big media like journalism professionals keep promising me.
There’s always been another option that I’ve been holding in my pocket as a backup plan, though. A few days after I graduated high school, I fell in love with another job and have been struggling with saying “no” to it ever since. Firefighting is exciting, helps people in the direct way I’ve always wanted and satisfies my ego almost as well. While my experience is in wildland fire and I would almost surely prefer a career as a structure firefighter, I am beginning to feel more like this is the path I was meant for every day.
Over the past weekend, I spent Thanksgiving with my family, both immediate and extended neither of which sees much of me since I left home. While talking to them about my career conundrum, my mom butted into the conversation to tell an aunt something that has been stuck in my head since: “His face just lights up when he talks about firefighting, but he gets this pained look when he talks about the newspaper.”
She’s right, but I’ve been telling myself firefighting was just a college kid’s summer job, albeit a good one, since the day I applied for it. I know I’m wrong. I know that as much as I enjoy writing, journalism is not where I belong.
That is why I’ve decided (and I’m only 20-years-old, so anyone who doesn’t expect this to change again is probably crazy) to begin working toward a paramedic’s certificate in preparation for a career in emergency services. I am still going to work toward a bachelor’s degree at UNR, probably even in journalism, but I’ll start looking at classes that can transfer to the paramedic program at TMCC for either after I graduate or part-time if that’s an option.
I don’t know if this is the right decision. I don’t know if I’ll turn around and come back to reporting. But I know that for right now, I’m happier with this decision than I have been the past two years with journalism. I suppose it’s just a good thing I found out now.
Well there’s that…
