2-8-2000

I am sooooo tired!

The shift was a good one, not too busy
no one died on us.
It was a day of varied ethinc experiences...
My partner brought in a latin dance CD and we were
jammin' in the monkey bus!
(Latin music Tuesday...could be a new tradition!)
then to add further spice and ethnic flare
Ken and I had Chineese food from
our favorite Restaurant
No.1 kitchen
(or as I called it...Like no ones kitchen!)
Stayed up too late talking with tony (night shift)
and as soon as I went to bed...
the madness started. not anything serious
but 4 calls in a row. not enough to put you into overtime
but enough to keep you out of bed till shift change!

After the shift was over I went on a day long ski trip.
It was planned by some of my co-workers and it was a good time.
much kudos to the boss(herb) for driving
we took the Company bus!

This trip gave me time alone and a lot of time to think
and the conclusion I arrived at after all that thinking...
Is this.

You have only a short life expectancy in this bussiness before something gives...

About 5 to 7 years.
If you are fulltime  10,000 -12,000 hours "on duty"
(give or take with the usual and customary exceptions.)
(such as prn and part-time people who have a diffrent cumulative stress level)
To make your mark then ride on your good reputation till you realize you're done.

Hopefully
you don't waste any of this time
digging yourself out af the hole you dug in the beginning.

These "holes" can be minor things such as
"Attitude problems"
which either resolve themselves
or
you move on to another service where your attitude isn't a problem.

Or Major
Career threatning "holes" such as:

"Know it all"
which is a real epidemic in E.M.S.
Luckily you can avoid this by recognition of
the signs and symptoms.
which include:
A chip on the shoulder,foot in the mouth and head up the ass.
(it is not usually contagious but is hard to cure)

Then You have to Actually Work
Do a good Job, Earn the respect of your peers,
  by putting up or shutting up.
Build an Educational background to fall back on.
All this while trying to
Manage the Health and well being of your self  and your family.

I can only speak for me...
I't aint easy
But it sure can be fun.

Like the song says...
Put....your time in
Put....your time out

Put....More time in and shake it all about.

Do the hokey pokey n' turn your self around...
(here's the scary part)

That's what it's all about!


Good nite!