So, what did or do you do for a living, and do you like it?

I'll start. I was a firefighter/paramedic for the last 24 years. I was the Captain of the Emergency Medical Team at the ExxonMobil Beaumont refinery for 16 years. I tore my left knee up fighting a fire at the refinery. They took me out of there to the hospital, I gave them my skin at times. Still, after I returned to work, they wanted a witness. "You say that you fell fighting the fire. You were on the nozzle, who was behind you?"

I didn't know, I had never seen him before. "What? You have been fighting fire here for 20 years and you don't know who he was? We need a witness." I looked at him, "Why? You hauled me out of here when I couldn't walk to the hospital. Why do you need a witness?"

Anyway, they actually appointed one man to investigate this, to find out who was behind me on the hose, so maybe they didn't have to pay the medical bills as I risked my life for them. They discovered that it was a new hire at Mobil Chemical, the refinery right behind us and he testified that what I was saying was true. WTF? I volunteer to fight chemical fires and they haul me from the fire scene to the hospital and then have the balls to accuse me of lying? "Yeah man, I tore my knee up so bad that I couldn't walk. Yet somehow, managed to limp back in, and just so happen to catch a fire, then blame it on you."

Anyway, that was the end of my career as a firefighter for the most grateful company on the earth, ExxonMobil. I was 55 and had my years in. I took my lump sum and their contribution and fled the coop. I jumped on an ambulance in Jasper. I won't lie, it does give you the warm fuzzies when you walk in the door and mom isn't breathing and is blue. You rip her shirt open and do a quick look through the paddles of the defibrillator (very old school) and see that she is in V fib. You charge,shock and she takes a very deep breath. she is alive now, five seconds ago, she was dead. That is truly a rush. The family is standing on your shoulder but you really don't see them as you are so focused on the patient. They all blend together after the years, hundreds of them.

But then years later, you are single and at a bar and some beautiful girl comes up and says, "You saved my mom." Now.... that is really a rush. But I digress. They don't pay paramedics squat, really. We take the blood and the puke and even at times the shit, literally and don't get paid.
We were rapidly going broke so I went back to selling cars and I love it. I work at Kinsel Toyota used cars and I love it. I can sit on my laptop all day by the window watching the lot. I work with two really cool black guys and the most laid back boss that I have ever had. As long as I move cars, he is happy. There is no restriction, I can jump in a BMW and take off to go buy horse food and lunch. I have my pension till we are both 99 from AssholeMoble and am making good money at a job that I love.

So, what do or did you do for a living?

I billed Medicaid/Medicare in a Nursing Home. I loved what I did and also enjoyed the elderly. Heard some great stories of their lives when they were younger. Cried some tears also when one died. You either love working in a Nursing Home or you hate it. I loved it. I always had the attitude that I wasn't walking into the door of my job but I was walking into the home of many respectable people. All they ask is for someone to listen and pay a little attention to them. I was always happy to do so. I even found one who had some disabilities with walking but sharp as a tack. She worked in a business office for many years. So I recruited her. She did some filing, envelope stuffing, etc and it made her happier than she had been in a long time. I love the elderly. They can teach you a lot and open your eyes to many things.
Now I am retired, living in the country and raising horses. Not as many as I used to but still have a few. I love my life, family and husband. I am also an animal lover.

I've had many jobs starting as a teen. I've worked gas stations, fast food, for a parts distributor, ship yard, and oil refining. I liked the gas and food business because you get to meet people. There are a whole lot of different folks with different ideas out there. I find it interesting. I like old folks too. I've had the opportunity to talk to some old WW2 vets from time to time. Their stories are very interesting, about the depression and later the war. A dieing breed.

My favorite job of the bunch was the shipyard. It was very hard work. Most of the older guys there had a limp, or other noticeable injury because the work was hard and dangerous. But to me, it was the most satisfying. We started with some steel and before you knew it a drilling rig was built. Each day you could see it change. You could actually look at it and feel like you're a part of something. Working at a plant, you don't feel the same gratification.

The shipyards are gone now and I couldn't do that type of work now. Maybe it was best to move on when I did. I still have all my fingers and toes.

I have done many jobs as well. First it was mostly in the insurance field, clerical work. Then I stayed home to have babies. During that time, I watched other peoples children in my home, and/or delivered newspapers at night. I taught preschool for 3 years. I loved it and would probably still be there if the school had not closed its doors after almost 30 years. Then I went to college. I started college, taking a full load and a short while into it, my husband was called to go to IRAQ. It was hard being home alone with 3 children under the age of 10 and going to school. But I graduated second in my class. That has probably done more for my self esteem than anything else I have ever done. I got a job, and worked for the same dentist for 4 years. After that length of time, his wife and I just couldnt get along and it was time for me to go.. I now have a house cleaning business. I love it. I have one girl that works for me and I make more money than I did for the dentist and I have WAY more time off. And ZERO stress.... that makes it the perfect job for me!!