JDarr,

Yeah, I like my job as a fishhead since I finished college in early '76. Only worked a few different jobs in this field, plus a little free lancing, and have regretted Monday mornings twice now, I think, and one of them was due to being kinda' hung over. I've had the opportunity to work in harvest management, hatcheries, and habitat management. Also some budget management and supervision, which I found I liked the least. I saw that the future of fisheries would be habitat management, leaped into that and have never looked back. I didn't make much money in my early years, but it was enough to live on, and I was having too good a time to change. I've been with federal agencies for 18 years now, and like what I do all the more as time goes on. I'm pretty good at what I do, working smarter if not harder, and have developed important working relationships with many biologists, engineers, lawyers, and a few policy wonks who enrich the working environment and help make possible the many successes I've experienced.

If I had it to do over, I'd do it about the same, only I'd plan better. I'd stay home sick on the days I made major mistakes, and only go fishing on the days the river was in shape. Now I'm looking at retirement looming on the horizon and don't know how I want to feel about that. So I'm going to keep on doing what I know and like until I feel differently about it.

Sg

I came up with that quote when me and one of my buddies was in the pool in Cabo observing the wildlife. I was looking at a pair of tramp stamps sitting next to each other on the edge of the pool. One was a butterfly with some tribal crap, about 2" by 2". The other was at one time a 2" by 2" butterfly, but had grown to about 6" wide, and somehow traveled about 6" south.

I said, "Well, she certainly got her money's worth out of that ink." Then we had a long drawn out thing about skin elasticity, and aging. Hence the quote.

Love my job, does it suck some days? You bet! But overall it is great and I work with great people who are like family. Twitch hit a few of the bad things about firefighting but overall it is a great life and I get paid pretty good to do it.Have spent a lot of nights up all night at fires or running the wheels off on EMS calls, seen a lot of stuff that I could live with not ever seeing again but that is just part of what we do. It was definately more fun when I was just a Firefighter riding backwards but sitting up front pushing buttons and talking on the radio has it's pluses also. Have plenty of time off and get to spend a lot of time with my family and hunt and fish.

Had some pretty crummy jobs when I was young and it made me apreciate this one that much more when I got it.

Wow, JDarr, you actually started a good thread.

I've probably learned more about some PP people I actually know just by reading this. Some great and truly honest words being typed out by everyone.

I got a BS in Environmental Science but was practically done with the idea by the time I got my degree. It is a mentally tough game "saving the world" when the bulk of the money and power is standing in the way. I then went in a completely different direction and moved onto computer/networking stuff.

Now, I generally like my job. I've worked in the same IT job for 7 years at a financial institution. I think that being in IT is a decent fit for me. Lots of problem solving, independence, with the right mix of dealing with people. I also get a little flexibility as what I do tends to be project based. I get satisfaction from completing projects and making people happy by fixing things for them. I also have a great boss and 3 coworkers on my team that I get to be nearly completely honest with in regards to my beliefs and feelings. I think we have each others' backs. I don't have to worry about politics amongst my team. That being said, I still "work for the weekends and vacations". I don't go through a single day without thinking about a past or future adventure.

Beyond whatever you do, attitude really is everything and it is malleable. It is a constant work-in-progress for me but the change I've made in that regard is probably one of the things I'm most proud of internally. I also find a lot of humor in the absurdity of life and I think that helps me handle some of the more ridulous things I see/read/hear. I try to remember that I have a wonderful girlfriend, a (usually) wonderful dog, some great friends, a stable income, and the health and will to spend my free time doing what I want without feeling bad for it.

If you are looking for some general PP personality types to model, I'd look towards people like Stam, Todd, and Rico. I'm sure they each have their bad moments but in the time I've spent with each of them, I've noticed they smile a lot... regardless of the larger situation. Plus, they all know how to live hard.

Keep your head up, Twitch. You've probably got more friends than you think.

-AP

Cool post hippy.

I love my job every other friday when the check comes in.

I have a nice place on 10 acres for the kids to roam and most of the toys I want.

But the best part is my wife doesnt have to work and can be at home with the kids instead of them being raised by a daycare....

I feel very fortunate!

And we are still far less balanced on the work vs. play scale than much of the world. Europe and most of the Spanish speaking countries seem to have it fairly well figured out. Siesta's and lots of vacation time!

Good post Twitch. Very interesting to follow your progression and shifting system of values and/or pursuits so to speak. Thanks for the insight and I'll be hoping a sweet opportunity comes along soon. It seems we have more than a few things in common.

I firmly believe that good things do happen to good people. That having been said, most of the good people I know choose to put lifestyle and the pursuit of happiness ahead of and in a different category than money. As such, low paying jobs in a field, location, or pay grade that is far from their first choice seems to be the norm rather than an exception.

Perhaps a better question is, "Do you like your life?" If the answer is no, why not, and what can you do about it. It is easy to try and find solutions in the things you don't have and/or think that you want. Money, women, time, possessions, etc. In my experience, getting what it is you want, more often than not, either leads to the wanting of something else, or the creation of new problems that quickly replace the old, leaving you more or less in the same cycle.

I can honestly say I am pretty content in my current situation. I would like to say that I have landed where I am at, doing what I am doing, as a result of clear foresight, hard work, and by strictly adhering to a perfect plan that affords me an ideal balance between work, play, time off and income enough to accomplish my financial goals. Truth be told, I was lucky as hell and wonder every day how the F I managed to catch a few breaks, dodge a few bullets, and wind up in a decent spot doing things that I love next to people I respect and enjoy being around.

In all reality, as someone mentioned above, my answer really depends on the day and the hour that you ask though. Today was a good day. Tomorrow? Who knows.

Pretty early on in my budding "professional progression" I had to make a call between making money and being close to the things that I value outside of work. I chose the latter, and in doing so a minimum wage at a mountain guide service and the 9 best years of my life. Incredibly, that turned into a real job, led to another, and eventually dropped me where I am at. Full time mountaineering ranger, part time fishing guide who lives for time on the river with friends and loved ones.

For me, on the most simple level I can boil things down to, happiness is being close to the things and people that I love. Discontentment, if that is a word, is separation from those things.

Your answer is likely very different than mine, but whatever it is, I hope you find it.

Really good stuff dude.

"Getting away from it all" really tends to put the ordinary into perspective eh.

No doubt about it... Gotta have some sort of passion for what you do... Bring home the bacon, spend some bacon and play all you can.... The time bomb just ticks too fast. I remember high school like it was yesterday and at the age of 35 I want to be sure to play all I can,,,, I don't spend a ton of time living my life though a fishing BB, did that in the younger years. I've come to realize I could give a flying [censored] about what others think about me, I'll do as I please... I just enjoy playin as much as I can, getting out with the buddies hunting, fishing, etc... As I watch some of my older fellows passing away, it's sad to see but makes me realize I better get it all done!

Keith

FWIW, I absofu**in lootli love my job!!!

I will read the other posts tomorrow.

Not rich, but happy.

I like my job as a probation officer. You get to impact ones life or at least attempt to in a positive manner.
Though you cant measure it. If some of these people do not report on a regular basis or if they do not report at all, they are more likely to be involved in criminal activities. If you badger one enough and they start to come around and act like law abiding citizens then you are doing ur job. And that you can feel good about.
The pay is $49K and some change with occasional decreases due to health insurance and now furloughs. But you have weekends all holidays and a 4 10's schedule.
Good thing my wife makes almost twice as much as me.
It seems I don't know what I would do if I were to lose my job. I guess I would find another one.
Down side is you can get killed real easy and quick ..and or you look into the eyes of killers on occasion with Maurice Clemmons being the most recent.

I like my job, and it's probably in the most unlikely of places for that to happen. I originally got into it because I didn't want to work a regular monday-friday, 9 to 5 schedule. I haven't had to fish a weekend in years. People at work often ask me when I'm going to move into a spot with weekends off. They don't get it. Plus, after years of doing a bit of everything there, I ended up with a position I flat-out like.
Saundu, there's no way I'd want to be a CCO. You guys get crapped on in the media every time someone on your caseload commits a crime, as if you should have been there holding his hand.