Another one seeminly "headed downhill"
Had a targeted minority hiring at Tampa Fire Dept.
I'm a Federal wildland firefighter. Once upon a time I wanted to be a municipal firefighter and applied to the City of Austin. I travelled 1,800 miles to take the test. Passed the test. Got called back for an interview. Travelled 1,800 miles back to Austin to do the interview, nailed it.
I got a letter about a month later and was hoping for a "Congratulations" letter but it was a letter to tell me that they were calling the whole thing off. Some minorities complained that the test was biased towards white folk. I'm technically a minority because I have a couple drops of Indian blood and am an actual citizen of the Cherokee Nation, legit. That didn't count. Gotta be brown.
Well, decided to stay with the Feds because I have military time and it counts toward retirement. Bullshit is starting to happen here too though. I got passed over for an Engineer job on my own Engine by an outsider who is female and doesn't even qual for the job. She's not even qualified as an Incident Commander Type 5, which is the lowest level and a requirement.
Back to the topic at hand, I live by the philosophy a SEAL told me when I was a young Pollywog. Do something to challenge your body everyday. Another mantra I live by is from a Green Beret I knew. Good, Better, Best. Never let it rest until your 'Good' is 'Better' and your 'Better' is 'Best'.
Weak people can't quit drinking, can't change their diet, and won't put in the work at the lowest level to climb their way up to where they want to be. Being able to be flexible in your actions in order to adapt to change is a strength you must possess to overcome adversity.
I see my severely obese Mother In Law cry because her life sucks. It seems to me that she has been living life thinking there is a do over button you get to push or at some point she would start getting younger and thinner. Guess, what. You can't build a legacy on what you were going to do.
Then there's cancer. Seen some very healthy people get cancer at no fault of their own. That just sucks and is hard to take.
