Public Service? Not for me . . .

So, when somebody asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" what did you say? Originally, I would say "A paleontologist!" But when I hit Grade 11 I suddenly wasn't so sure. That was an awful lot of study and hard work, and what if I discovered afterwards that it really wasn't what I wanted to do with my life? Thusly, since Grade 11, I have been essentially directionless.

I would like be employed in a way that benefits society. Lifelong gas station jockeys and burger-flippers, my hats off to you (though I don't usually even wear one hat, let alone multiples), because I could never do that for so long. So, a job that helps people . . . that should be easy, right? Except I can't stomach people in pain, and due to a meningitis scare in elementary school, needles present issues of epic proportions to me. So, pretty much anything in the medical world is a non-option. Bummer.

Firefighting. A very noble profession, and definitely a job which helps others. Apart from the very real dangers and the highly physical nature of this job, I can't really offer any reason that I could not perform it. However, for whatever reason, it really does not appeal to me right now. So, for no good reason I can find, firefighting is off my list.

But wait, there're plenty of other jobs that help people! Become a police officer, right? Wrong. I could handle nearly every aspect of that line of work, but unfortunately, police need to 1) protect and uphold the law and 2) remain calm and impartial in the midst of a crime investigation

I didn't pull those "rules" from anywhere in particular, it's just how I've always pictured police (by the way, the first one is most definitely a tribute to Robocop). The first rule I'd have no problem with. It's against the law, don't do it. You do it, you suffer the consequences. Pretty cut-and-dried to me. The second would get myself arrested, and very quickly. All it would take would be my first child victim or abuse of trust crime (I think you know what I'm referring to here) and I wouldn't be following the first or second rules anymore. I'd be loading my standard issue, packing a metal Louisville slugger, and getting no sleep at night. I'd be dispatching real justice to the wretches that deserve it.

So . . . police service is definitely out. After all, even though I think having police-certified vigilantes (read: bounty hunters) available to deal with repeat offenders (and particularly horrific first-time offenders) is a good thing, I can't say that the justice system we have right now can condone it in any way. *shrug* I think it's a pretty good idea, but the law can't differentiate between vigilante justice and murder, so . . .

I can't really think of any other jobs that really help benefit society directly, and this post was kind of started by the whole police vs. vigilantism thing, so I guess I'll end here. I'm still considering the Armed Forces because, even though I know it can be used to harm society, I think it has incredible potential to help as well. We'll see . . . maybe I'll enter the Service and be helping out in some natural disaster zone next year. Who knows?