Go for the gold.

Everyday is the first day of the rest of my life.  I'm going through a phase. I don't know a good name to call this phase, but I think we will refer to it as a "career phase" for now.

For the past, oh five years, I have dreamed of becoming a coroner. This is my lifelong dream. I've studied everything I can, I've bought books, watched videos, everything. I've performed an autopsy on a dog when I worked at the Lake Area Animal Hospital, I've scheduled tours of funeral homes, everything. I am going to college fall 2009 for this profession, if it's the last thing I do.

When I get older, I want my kids to ask, "Mom, what did you want to be when you were a kid?" and I want to be able to answer them, "Baby, exactly what I'm doing right now." I don't want to get stuck in some dead end job, doing something I don't want to do. I look around and see people in the most stupid jobs. Slaving away for 8 dollars an hour, doing what they hate. My father has been a Welder since he was seventeen years old. It's his passion, but it's a hard labor trade. 

At school yesterday, I heard an announcement for information on free welding classes at ABC Welding School. It sounded interesting so I went to my counselor and signed up for the information. Well, when I got home last night, around the dinner table my dad told me to sit. He said, "Your counselor called my today, and said you were interested in welding classes?" He laughed and said "What is that all about?" I was so appalled that she called him, I am almost embarrassed. I wanted that personal, you know? Well, he couldn't believe that I was even remotely interested in it. He works at Tadlock Pipe, and offered for me to go up to the job today and he could let me weld and show me some technique to see if I really wanted to take the class and become certified. 

I went to his job today and I got to weld pipe, cut with a blow torch, grind, and talk to him and his friend/co-worker Mr.Clay. Mr.Clay talked to me about life and this profession. He straight up told me it's a man's work. Women don't belong in this field and if they do, it's for passion, not just to "do it." I took everything they said seriously, and I listened to what they thought. They told me many different things about life and what is important. He really made me aware that it's my time to shine and be what I really want to be. I said I wanted to become certified as a welder just in case all my plans fall through one day, as a coroner. At least I could have a stable income as a welder, if it came to that. He told me so many stories about when he worked at the plants. Several of his friends have either died or been seriously injured due to welding. It can be very dangerous and it is a tedious profession. The money is good, it's just working your way up to that point. 

Another thing he talked to me about was finding a hard working man. Every guy I've dated in the past, were as per my father, "not manly enough." They want me to have a strong, determined, man to be able to support me. I said, "you know, where do you want me to find one of these?" I mean, you know? It's hard finding a good person in this life to love you, for YOU, nothing else, but who you really are. That is the least of my worries, because most guys in my generation are just lazy bums. I can't seem to find one with enough will power to handle a relationship with me, let alone their own problems.

Nonetheless, I am considering taking these welding classes. He told me stories about a few women he's worked with in the past. They came in with a pretty face, and ended up getting burns, scratches, cuts, everything and anything. I don't want that lifestyle, but I want a good job. I want a trade. I have absolutely no idea if welding is for me. But, it can't hurt to try, right? I don't know. I honestly don't have a clue. I don't want to be a typical "woman" working in an office doing "womanly" things all day. I want to get my hands dirty with the guys! I really enjoyed welding today. It's very difficult and takes years to be great.

I guess, I just want to have the advantage over other people my age before I go to college, or get a job. With welding, I can. Being a coroner, I can't. I can't get any "pre expericene" until after college, which isn't an advantage.

Life is about finding your passion. You can have a job as a welder, but if you don't love it, you will never be great. It's not cut out for everyone, that's speaking in the least.

So, I'm on the road to finding my passion in life. It's gonna be a wild ride...