Work……

The funny thing is, we all know before we go down the road of being a career EMS provider, that we’ll have to put in a massive amount of hours each week in order to support ourselves, and if you’re trying to support a family, well, don’t plan on seeing that family much.

The thing is, we all know that even the biggest companies can only pay just so much. Its based on how much money comes in. If more money goes out than comes in, you’re not going to be in business very long.

Unfortunately, what this means is that in order to make enough money to cover our expenses and just maybe put a few bucks away for later, you’ll end up having to put in a boatload of hours. Average hours run somewhere between 60 and 80 hours.

What people forget, is that this has an impact on us directly, and on our friends and family indirectly. When you work 80 hours in a week, that’s an additional 40 hours that you’re away from home and your family. That’s a whole second week of work that is taking up time you spend with your friends. It takes away from time you have to work on your house, projects, hobbies, etc.

This is something that we, as providers, can adapt to, but we have to remember that this can take its toll on those around us. Our family doesn’t always understand when we have to stay late or get held over. Our family doesn’t always understand when we get home and feel like crap because we lost ‘that patient’ today. Sometimes it feels like we shouldn’t be allowed to have a family. Just as you get to the point where you think its going to break though, family can surprise the hell out of you.

So next time you’re home, remember to thank your family for putting up with your crazy schedule and your mood swings.

Clear!! Shock delivered.

Balancing act

I know I’ve gone on at great length before about balancing your work and personal lives when you’re in the emergency business, but I think that I have just a little more to say on the subject.

The funny thing is, you don’t need to do major events to have quality time.  Sometimes its nothing more than just a shared experience together that is more intimate than the most adult play time.

Last night, after we ate dinner, I was getting ready to shower and realized I was getting shaggy.  The head on my shoulders you perverts!!  Working 6 days a week and running all my errands on the seventh doesn’t leave a lot of time for things like running to the salon or barber to get a trim.  I’m sure any guys out there have tried buzzing their own heads before, and we all know that it can be a chore if you have to wear glasses, so I asked her to buzz me down.

As she was working, we got talking about the day and things in general.  Then we got to talking about shaving my head.  I’ve been bouncing the idea around for a while, and finally decided to just go for it.  Once again, easier if you don’t have to wear glasses.  So she offered to do it for me and I said why not…. and we did it.

In all honesty, I think that something like that can be as intimate as anything else you can do.

I think, sometimes, that little things like this can be more important to a long-term relationship than sex.  Not to discount sex, but seriously, as we age, sex will eventually be not so prevalent in the relationship.  Not a bad thing, just nature.

Sometimes we focus too intently on the sex and lose sight of those times that should really matter.

Take five minutes and tell your significant other what he/she means to you and look for those little things you can do together that will make a difference.

Clear!!

Shock delivered.