I have been in the healthcare industry (it pains me to call it that but it is what it is) for nearly 20 years of my 40 years of life. It has been rewarding as I have helped many people along the way. I started out as a Combat Medic in the US Army eventually upgrading to an Occupational Therapy Assistant. I was able to work with many wounded warriors from Afghanistan, Iraq, and various other campaigns. Since being a civilian, I have had the privilege and the honor of working with many elderly from the WWII and beyond era. I am deeply blessed to have met and helped many of my WWII heroes.
However, the field of OT has been affected by the many changes in the healthcare insurance companies, and increased government regulations. As a result, having to wade through the bureaucratic waters of red tape and meeting criteria, the field has become less than fun for me as it once did. I am thankful for the income it has provided though, and if I am still needed I will continue working in it. But I am also pursuing other interests as well.
That got me to thinking though that if money wasn't an object, and I could just work a job that I could enjoy regardless of how much it paid, what would they be?
Here are my jobs I would enjoy working regardless of pay:
1. Teacher, probably high school teacher with focus on American History. Being a teacher can be very rewarding, but let's face it, not the highest paid field. My plan while I was in the Army was to serve 20 years and retire so I could draw pension from the military, and while in earn my teaching degree. Then I could live solely off of my Army pension while not having to worry about the financial stress most teachers have. Maybe one day I'll revisit this dream.
2. Working in a bookstore/library. As a book nerd I would love this. To be surrounded by books and other nerd stuff all day would be a dream come true. I joke that if I were to work at a Barnes and Noble, or Books A Million, that they could just keep my paycheck and convert my pay into books.
3. An author. I love to write, and I have been slowly writing a book. I have the lists of characters and their biographies (which need to be expanded), a rough outline (needs to be refined), and I have even started writing the main body. Right now I am writing it to keep myself occupied and mind busy, and to relax. Hopefully, it will turn into something more.
4. A park ranger. I would love to be a park ranger at a state park and spend my whole day just out in the woods taking care of the park. I love to hike, and I grew up running around in the woods most of my childhood.
5. A reporter. Looking back, I wish I would have been interested in stuff like the school newspaper and working for it, and pursuing a journalistic degree. I think the field is lacking integrity, and I would love to be one of those reporters who are actually neutral and tell the facts so the readers themselves can decide what side to choose.
6. A comic book store owner. I have over 700 comic books in my collection, and I love the stories of superheroes. I would love to have a comic book shop that also had boardgames, card games, and various other geek stuff.
There you have it. I'm sure later I will think of some more but these jobs have always been careers I have considered but never pursued due to life.
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