It’s been too long since I’ve updated this. To my few readers at this point…I’m sure I didn’t leave you hanging one bit! These past few weeks have been a rough, but in it I’ve gained a lot of clarity as it relates to this blog, my path towards financial freedom, and my mental well being. You see, I saw my first glimpse of burn out and it was an ugly sight.
Life at home has been fun, but chaos! We welcomed our son into this world in April and have been doing the two kid juggle with a firefighters schedule. Easier said than done, but the hunkering down a family time has been wonderful. However, I haven’t been working as much and it shows in our bank account. Paying bills and how to fund our future weighs heavy on me. I’ve been clipping away learning my options trading a d I’ve even managed to eek out a steady 8% return rate per month on my accounts. It’s been a great little extra income stream, but at this point it pale in comparison to working a few 24 hour OT shifts which are abundantly available at the time of this writing.
My regular shifts at work have been getting me down. Don’t get me wrong, I love the crew I have and the district I’m in, but the calls we have been going on have been rough. I haven’t really been on a single call where I feel like I’ve been able to make a difference. Whether it’s the old lady in the middle of the night who calls us because she can’t sleep, or the head on collision on the freeway where everyone is dead and you just feel like a worthless observer. Both equally have been weighing heavy on me and both have been nudging me towards a more clear realization of my WHY.
Of course the main reason WHY is to provide a good life for my family and to be able to spend more time with them and enjoy the moments. However, I realize that as much as my profession as a firefighter gives me in terms of self worth, it can just as easily take that away and make me feel burnt out. We see it a lot in the firefighters nearing retirment. They’re grouchy, they don’t want to run the new generation of calls, and “the job just isn’t what it used to be.” Recently I saw a glimpse of HOW they get that way and to be honest it scared the living daylight out of me.
I never want to be the burnout. It’s not fair to my crew, the public and the profession. I also know it’s a big possibility to get burnt out. It’s a terrible trap and a slippery slope. So why do these people stay? Maybe its because they have no other options. They need to work for benefits and work so they can max out their fixed benefit pension. I don’t want to be that guy. I want to invest my ass off so I can look myself in the mirror some day when I’ve had enough and be able to smile back, say it’s been one hell of a ride, and hang up my gear for good a happy man instead of a broken down shell of the firefighter I used to be. This job takes a lot and everyone has their breaking point. When I reach mine, I want to be ready to go and to take my dignity and pride with me.
Ok the rant is over. Yeah I’ll admit it I’m in a bit of a funk, but unlike Powell’s inflation, this crud is truly transitory. I have a few ideas for some articles in the coming weeks. Thank you for checking in.
The Firefighter Economist 