High speed chase

One reason i want to be a policeman, is the thrill, the experience, the danger, the feeling of good. One thing that policeman have in common with the military is mental illness. Well not neccisarily illness, but what ever choice you make, will never leave your memory. Maybe guilt is a better choice in some cases. For example people in military have to take therapy after returning from war, to help them cope with the death and destruction they saw while there. Well police have the same thing. Many officers see things from car accidents, or homocides that no one should have to see. I want to be put in that position, so i can learn to cope, and become a stronger person in the end. Cops have to make big decisions, sometimes with only a second of thought. Somethings they decide to do, come back and bite them in the butt, some make them heroes. I have always like to be put in a position to make a quick decision, i want to be there, and do what is right. Like in a high speed chase, there are many things you can do. You can shoot out the tires, call for back up, set up a road block, or spike strip, or straight out slam them. What ever decision is made, it can affect your life forever. If you slam them, there is a chance you kill them, and possibly you, but... if you dont stop them, they can be a danger to both themselves, and everyone else on the road. There are times that you cant do anything about it. Like in the article i was reading, about a high speed chase. It was his first high speed chase. He and the other patrol men were just standing around having coffee, when two motorcycles cam barrelling by at high speeds. In the end, the result had nothing to do with anything they did. The one cyclist hit a telephone poll around a curve, thus, throwing him off, and him gettin hit with shrapnol, resulting in a death. They did not do anything to cause this death, although, they were accused by a judge, of killing him. She said if they hadn't of chased him, he would still be alive. Well if he would not of broken the law, he would still be alive today.

More construction...

Construction like is is one of the things i woudl be interested in. I remember when i was a kid i had those little tonka trucks. I had all the different kinds of construction trucks. I would pretend to be a construction workere working on some huge, important project. I have always been interested in big machines. Such as the trucks in the video. But, construction with big vehicles is not the only kind of construction i am interested in. I want to build houses, buildings, work with my hands, do digging, lifting, all the varieties out there, I want to do. Right now there are three possibilities for construction jobs i can do over the summer. My parents know two private contractors who would most likely be willing to employ me, also one of my friends, and his dad do flooring in houses, and buildings. He said his dad would be willing to have me help out. Anything i can do to get experience would be helpful. I am looking forward to finding out what i will be able to do. I do not however plan to quit my job at Hy-Vee over the summer, just only work a day or two a week, and the rest on what ever construction job i might be able to get. As for now, all i can do is look for a job, but there is nothing i can do in the way of working at the moment. There are two main reasons I have to wait. The first is my broken hand is still not fully healed, i have surgery on Friday to remove the pin, and i will have stitches for ten days to two weeks. I am not able to work until may 10th, for the first time in three months. The other reason is school, it is way to time consuming and important to skip, plus my parents wouldnt like me skipping. I have to wait until school is over to start working a construction job. That and most provate contractors dont start hiring teens until summer starts. We will see what the future holds, and how the jobs may go.

More thoughts

With each day that goes by, i think of more and more of things i want to do with my life. I am still very high on my two previous options, a policeman, and a construction contractor. Although, i am pretty set on these two optionsm, A third one has opened up. It is not a dream job that many people may think of. It is nothing like being a professional baseball player, or a executive president of some huge bussiness like Microsoft, it is, however a good paying job. The job i am thinking about is a counsilor, or a therapist. The only reason i am considering this job, is because over the past week, i have been "counsiling" a friend in trouble. I thought i was just beign a good friend, but according to her, i helped her so much. She just went through a horrible break up, of a two year relationship i think. She was living with him, and there were, complications. She texted me asking for help. And i guess she said i sounded like a therapist, and that i knew what i was talking about. Further thought, and questions went into this career choice. I had asked my mom, and she said it could be entirely possible of me being a therapist. Our families closest friends, the man of the house was a private therapist, had his own, bussiness or whatever it is called. Although it ended really bad, because he was... not very organized, and had troubles with the U.S treasury department. I have not yet looked into what kind of schooling i will need to take in college, and what classes, and what degree i would need in order to pursue this job.

Pictures

One thing that really appealed to me in the military, is the training, and physical challenges that you are presented with. Well with further research, i have found out that the police academy gives simular training. I want to be fit, and in shape, able to tackle anything that life throws at me. These pictures show some of the training techniques.

Now for being a construction contractor, i want to do all kinds of work. I will most likely start off with small jobs, such as road work, then maybe move onto houses, and buildings. I am hoping by the time i'm mid forties, to be doing huge work, on huge buildings, with the kind of machines in the top picture.

Future plans

As of right now, i have plans to find out more about both careers that i just blogged about. As i mentioned in the last blog about construction, i plan on working for a family friend, who works in construction. Also, as i mentioned before, i tried to work for him last year, but it was too late in the summer for me to get a job. His name is Mr. Bushman, and i am fairly certain i will be able to get a job, i have the strength to be a construction worker, and the drive to do so. If i can get a job working construction, i will be able to see if i actually enjoy that type of work, which, i asume i will. Also, i plan to ask Mr. Bushman about being a private contractor, get some important, and needed information on that subject to give me more knowledge about what i might do. In order to find out more about being a policeman, I am hoping to be able to do the job shadowing oppertoonity that John F. Kennedy High School provides for students. I would job shadow being a police. I want to know more about what some of their jobs are, and other information that might sway my opinion and want for the job in either way. I believe knowing about your career is extremely important, almost as important as enjoying the job you do. I believe the three most important things in choosing a career are, 1. you must be passionate about whatever you may choose, 2. know what you are getting into, do not just randomly choose something you think you like with out knowing about what that job does exactly, and 3. the stability and pay of the job are also important. For example, if you take a job, that no one knows about, and it is not really needed, there will always be the possibility of you not having a job in the near future. That is why i like the two choices i have right now. There will always be a need for policeman, and also construction workers.

Construction

My second favorite choice is a construction contractor. I have always enjoyed building things. I loved to build anything from legos, to beds. Being a construction worker, is very hands on, active, and is something I would enjoy doing. I also like the business aspect of being a contractor. Being my own private contractor would have more responsibilities, but I believe it would be worth it. It would have more steps, and things that would need to be registered for. My mom has always said I would be a good business man. That may be true, but I don’t want to be the kind of business man who works behind a desk all day. Being a contractor would give me the responsibilities of being a business type man, but it would give me more of the activeness that I want in my career. Another reason for wanting to be a contractor, not just a construction worker, is the money. I know money is not the only thing, but it would give me a more stable job to support my family. My best friend in the whole world, who I have known since birth, has been working for a family friend, who runs a construction business. He has the experience and know how. My thought would be going into business with him. I am plan on trying to be able to work construction this summer for a family friend in the area. I tried last summer, but was too late. This would help me get experience and more know how to be able to create my construction business the right way. If I do choose this career choice, I plan on going to college for a business degree, and in the mean time working for some construction business. This will teach me what to do, and what not to do.

Policeman

A lot of thought has gone into what I want my career to be. I think I have narrowed it down to just two things I want to blog about. The first choice, being a policeman. Reasons for why I would like to be a cop, is because it is very active, and interactive. I want to make what ever town or state I live in, to be a safe place for my wife, and children. That is a main reason to be a cop for me, the activeness, and safety for my family. It has a lot of the same aspects as the military, such as physical and mental fitness, the same sorts of training, and the abundance of different possible job titles. I could do anything from E.O.D (explosive ordinance disposal), to prison guard, to CSI (crime scene investigator), to highway patrol, to state trooper, to policeman, and much, much more. Those six options are just the ones that caught my eye. The top three, would have to be E.O.D, CSI, or just a regular policeman. I know that most likely, my mom, and wife, would disagree with the E.O.D, because one, it can be extremely dangerous, and with my personality, I would probably just blow stuff up for the hell of it. I was actually looking into E.O.D for the Army Reserve, so it would be a lot like what if wanted in the Army. E.O.D deals with the bomb threats, and anything to do with explosives. If you have seen "the Hurt Locker", you will know what im talking about. I also think that being a CSI would be a fun, and exciting job. I am sure we have all seen CSI, or the many other forms of it, like CSI Miami, and such, so you know what it is all about already. It would be just what I want for a career. It has something different with each job, activeness, and it would require me to be into my work, it would be a challenge, and let me tell you, I love challenges. Finally, my third choice, would to be a regular everyday cop. The ones who deal with crimes, and disturbences calls. Well as much as I think all three of these are extremely important, and sound exciting, i still have a year and a half to decide which one i would do as a career.

Thoughts...

The past couple days i have been thinking of careers. I have come up with, for now, two possabilities. Those are, Policeman, and then have my own construction company. I figure that both have the things i need. Policemen has an active job, sometimes its more on the dangerous side, they also have a gun, which appeals to me. While construction has a lot of activeness, moving, lifting, building. When i was younger i remember building bike ramps, and such out of wood. I think that these two are great possabilities for a career.

Choices...

I have always been an active kid. From ass soon as i could crawl, i was climbing things, and getting into places, that are not the smartest, like under couches and so on. I enjoy being active still today. I play sports, none for school, however i did last year. I work out, and generally love to do fun and stupid things. I know now that no matter what my next career is, it will have to be hands on, and active. The job will have to shift from day to day. I can not sit behind a desk, and do the same thing over, and over, and over, and over. I hate repetativeness in a job. I currently work at hy-vee on edgewood. Although it is a good sturdy job for a teen like me, i hate it. Don't get me wrong, i am a great worker, my managers love me, the people are great, but, its repetative work. I stand behind a cashier, and ring up food, put on a happy face, tell them the price, and take their money. Not too fun. The only reason i still work there besides the oney, is the people make it interesting, and when they ask me to help stock. I enjoy stocking, it keeps me active, moving, and the time generally goes by faster. I know that I have to find a good job, that i enjoy, because there is no way i could put up with something i absolutely hate. I have thought alot about this in the last day or so, and i know that i can not be a teacher, doctor, i can't work behind a desk, or any of that. I like to shake things up, have a little spice in my life, and let me tell you, right now in my life, there is a whole ton of it. To start, i have a broken hand, makes things interesting, my heart made it so getting into the military is impossible, my family is moving, and im going to live witha friend so i can graduate from high school from Kennedy. I have so much going on, that it might be hard to decide on a career at the moment. I just need to think more, and make the right decision for my career.

It's over

I found out earlier this week that my medical waiver for the army reserve has been rejected by my cardiologist, and a confirmed by another doctor. My mom got a call from them earlier this week, i am not sure what time this week they called, for all i know they called weeks ago, i just found out yesterday aroung noon. Obviously i was really upset, heart broken. I think the hardest part is that i was told no before, then given a second chance. The fact that i had a second wind, or second hope is what hurt the most when i was rejected. Well after i calmed down, i decided to try for the Airforce, i was told they had a different waiver system. Well at lunch yesterday, it turned out they were at school yesterday. I went to talk to them to find out if i could get in with my heart. I was hoping to do Airforce ROTC, well i asked them about it, and informed them about my heart. Well, they said that there is no way i could get into any military type thing with my heart. This just deepened my disappointment. Now, i really dont know what to do with my life.

bi-cuspid aortic valve

The complication in me joining the Army Reserve, is my heart! I was born with a Bi-cuspid aortic valve. It is not a disease, and has minor effects on a persons life. The condition is where there are only two flaps on the aortic valve in the heart. There is risk of leaking, or increased infection risk with age, or possibly by a direct hit to the heart. According to the black guide line book for the Army, this condition is waiver-able. So Sgt. A. Smith of the Recruiting office in Cedar Rapids, sent a waiver to get into the service to MEPS in Des Moines. Although, it was a fifty-fifty chance of being waivered. Unfortunately the waiver was rejected by the doctors at MEPS. A couple days after Sgt Smith, and Hatfeild sent the waiver to Des Moines, i received a letter in the mail informing me of my medical disqualification. Needless to say, i was pretty upset, rather heart broken. I have always had trouble trying to figure out what i wanted to do for my life, and i considered the military my place in life. I felt l lost, and out of place. I didn't know what to do next. So, I then texted Sgt Smith asking him what i could do next, at the time he said he would see what he could do, and inform me later. Later that week, i was at the Lindale mall, i ran into Sgt Smith. He then informed me that he sent my waiver to the Surgeon General in Washington D.C to have him look over my waiver. Two days later, i was informed by the Cedar Rapids recruiting office that the waiver was currently sitting on the Surgeon Generals desk, and that any day i would receive a reply. Finally, the good news arrived weeks later. I was informed that the Attorney Surgeon decided that If i show the cardiologist my medical records, and if he thinks that there is a chance he will let me into the military with my heart, we will do an echo-cardiogram. An echo-cardiogram is basically an ultrasound for the heart. It sends waves out that bounce off the heart and come back as a picture, just like an ultrasound. Echo, is short for echo-cardiogram. I have had five echos in my lifetime. The doctors figured out i had this when i was in for a routine physical, and they noticed a heart murmur, and decided to have it checked out via an echo. I have an appointment with Dr. Ziddagren, a cardiologist in Cedar Rapids for April 13th. That is w hen i find out whether i will start my career right away with the Army Reserve, or if i have to try to find away around the system. My hopes are that I'm able to join. All i can do now is wait and hope!

Army Reserve

I currently am working on enlisting in the United States Army Reserve. I am choosing the Reserve at the moment, because I am wanting to finish a few years, if not all four years of college. I am Junior in high school right now, if the enlisting process goes well, and i am able to get in before this summer, i will be sent off to boot camp the summer before senior year. Reasons for joining the military have been buzzing around in my head. I have come to believe, the few main reasons have to do with pride, and myself. The pride portion is the pride i have in my country, and the desire to serve, and protect the great nation i call home. The part about myself, could be more harder to understand. i want to join, to help myself become better. The military is a challenge, in mental, emotional, and physical capacities. I want to make myself a better person in all those aspects, i want experience, thrill, a sense of good. I feel that the Army Reserve would give this all to me. So assuming all goes well, and i get in, my plan would be to go active duty once i finish college.



The Reserve is much like the National Guard, but only way better. You have the same benefits, and such as the Guard, but, unlike the Guard, the Reserve is federally run, so the money doesn't run out. You have to drill one weekend per month with your unit. They pay fully for your college and give you other financial aid. There are many different jobs one could take in the Reserve. Such as Military Police, supply man, technician, and many more. I personally am interested in the supply part of the service. This includes supplying soldiers and units with items ranging from food, to artillery. I am working on enlisting right now, hoping things go well, although... i have ran into a few complications already. I am hoping, and looking forward to boot camp!