Random Thursday

After being in my job for awhile I have started to wonder just what the value of a person is.

DISCLAIMER: I know I am not a judge. I know I'm not God. I know I'm not headed for a high tower with a rifle or anything, and I am 100% committed to doing my job regardless of the person I am treating.

Now...

When humans are little, they have so very much potential. I see that in the eyes of my own kids. Curious, friendly, accepting, interesting. The Boyo is a friend to everyone. He greeted the pizza delivery guy last night and was very welcoming and nice. He thanked the guy and said goodbye when he left. So I do believe that at a young age, every life is indeed sacred.

Then we grow up.

I'm becoming more and more convinced that somewhere along the line we lose that spark of sacredness? Some people do make their lives worth something. Probably most people. But I get to see the numskull who is a chronic alcoholic and is always drinking, driving and crashing into things. And it makes me wonder, after we have busted our buns extricating, IVing, c-collaring, back boarding, cleaning up blood and other fluids, crawling around and over shattered glass and twisted metal and plastic, transporting, testing, helping and saving such a person... It makes me wonder if, after all we've done, if they died anyway, would it be such a loss?

OK, call me a terrible person. But the human race is not endangered. It's not like we need the extra genes in the pool for the survival of the species. And if that person did exit said pool, perhaps that would save someone else down the line. Someone else that the habitual offender would have crashed into on their next drunken escapade.

Where or when do people cross that line? From perhaps doing something, anything useful with their life, into just existing. Breathing. Passing time until they die from natural causes or causes of their own making. There are so many people putting in their hours to make an honest living, and struggling to stay afloat. And yet so many others who take advantage of others, legally or not. Who use resources that honest folks could use... Ah, whatever. I think I may be burnt out on idiots.

The great part of my job is meeting people like the nice lady at the assisted living place the other night. A caregiver overreacted and called us. Nothing was wrong with this lady, but she was a delight to chat with and care for. Luckily in my line of work, those sorts of calls are about 2-1 with the idiots, so it's not all bad!

I just think the Declaration of Independence was right, but not clear enough. All men (humans) ARE created equal. But that equality goes out the window by adulthood. In my job, we treat everyone as equals, regardless of what we know to be true. It stinks sometimes...but it still beats cutting carpets!

In other news, we have a Downy Woodpecker that thinks that the wall outside our door is the perfect place to mine for grubs. This gets Ben and Emma all worked into a tizzy, and both of them have repeatedly begged me to go out and have a go at the visiting noisemaker.

Of course, Ben has a phobia of wild turkeys since he got attacked by one just after we moved in, and Emma would get outside, take one look around, panic and meow outside the door as if she were drowning. She is not at all an outdoor cat.

Picture Walk later today, after the Sweets awakens for the day. Until then, the Chipmunk Movie and playing with trains! Woot!

More Later