New Goals

So for the last two months I have been working with Vocational Rehabilitation to get job training so I can find a job. At first I picked CNA training, then today I found out starting pay for a CNA is around $7 or $8 an hour in SC. No thank you. I can make that working at Walmart. Luckily I had an appointment today with the Career Counselor. She is the one person who oversees assessment testing before approving any tuition assistance for schools or training. I had already met with her once, and it just happened that today I had another meeting with her for some additional testing. After the testing we talked about my options. I told her my reluctance to continue with my plan to become a CNA. She agreed with my reasons and asked me what my career goals are. I told her, "To become an EMT/Paramedic." She asked me, "Why don't you do that then?", and I replied, "WIll you still cover the tuition?" She said yes, and we talked at length about the challenges I would face with my illness as an EMT, but that we both felt I was strong enough to overcome those challenges. So now I am preparing for EMT school. It starts in January.

I am very excited and a little nervous at the same time. Realistically it is going to be a challenge to do this job, but I feel called to it. I've been a firefighter before. I have dealt with the death of a fire victim. I know I can handle this job. Maybe not today, but I have four months of class to prepare me for it. That's four months of continued growth along this journey of becoming better. I know I can do this. I feel like this gives me an extra challenge everyday to cope well, and continue using the tools I have learned along the way to cope with unpleasant experiences and painful emotions.