I also dont get this logic.
No one owes anyone anything special because some careers are shorter. If you are in a career that you cant work in - its your responsibility to figure that out and make changes.
Many of these gigs pay higher wages for that reason. Because its simply something you cant do forever.
Public service is a sacrifice individuals willingly make to…serve the public. A first responder risks having mental and physical disabilities, suicide, a shortened or nonexistent time in retirement, higher divorce and substance use rates, being misunderstood, alienated or marginalized by the general public, scrutiny from the media, politicians, and the very persons they are trying to serve and protect. Wear a body camera and 2 of every 3 people you wrestle to put cuffs on now say “I can’t breathe.” Any surprise why this career choice has the lowest amount of interest now than in generations?
I could go on and on and on. Suffice to say the above is just the tip of the iceberg of risks you willingly sign up for when you chose this career filed. Other careers are rife with their own risks, and this is in no way to diminish the significance of those consequences for those who live with them. I’m grateful for the contributions made to society by nurses, and excavators, and educators, and surveyors, and researchers, and everyone else.
I am not entitled to sympathy, handouts, an early retirement, welfare, or anything else. I don’t expect it, and I don’t demand it. It’s a privilege to be able to do what do for a living. I enjoy it, I am relatively well-compensated, and I am grateful for the opportunity.
I also don’t feel smug or special or seek or solicit accolades or attention from anyone. 99% of the time it is utterly thankless work, apart from very rare occasions when someone has expressed genuine appreciation. Those comments are pure gold to me and the people who gave them probably have no clue how much impact they had, helping me to believe and remember that what I do actually does matter.
I’m reluctant to type any of this, knowing how some people will take it. Do me a favor and save the “thank yous” here to avoid reinforcing the stereotype.
Regardless, let’s take a look at the matter of high-risk, low shelf-life careers such as military, public safety, and other first responders. It is incumbent upon persons entering these fields to do some prudent planning: save and invest, count on switching to an encore career, take care of your health and relationships, and don’t expect or count on someone else to pay for your lunch someday.
Personally, I do all this to best of my ability, because it is my personal responsibility. Over the last 15 years I’ve taught myself to fix things: electronics, computers, anything with an engine, appliances, and houses. I hire few contractors. Last month I rebuilt the front suspension on my truck from the transfer case out. If/when I get fired, or forced out, or quit, or fingers-crossed, retire, I can easily pick up skilled work doing something else.
And with all that, I still have an extremely high possibility of leaving my career with a lot of personal damage, most of it between my ears.
As a society, what kind of attitude is it reasonable and prudent to have towards persons like me, when despite our best attempts, our characteristic self-sufficiency runs dry later in life? “You should have planned better. Figure it out.” That’s an option, for sure. There are other options too. Nothing says “thank you” quite like making it possible to live out your last years with a modicum of dignity.
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