There aren’t many things that I really love about my job. I mean I like my job, but there are few things that are actually great about it. Who likes dealing with unruly adult-toddlers all day? (show of hands, please)
I do like some aspects of my job though. Not everything is “boo-hoo Joel”. There are a couple of things that I really look forward to.
One of my favorite things is shooting. I don’t ever get to shoot while I am off the job, but every six months or so, we all go out to the range and shoot a qualification course. Now, I am not the best shooter; I don’t hit everything I aim at every time, but I am alright. Our trainers are two Sgts that have special training, and they seem to have fun setting up the range and thinking of new things for us to do.
Today was “Qual day”, so I had a blast. I passed with little fanfare. Not as good as I thought I was going to do, but not failing. Plus, we don’t get paid any more to get a high score anyway, so as long as I pass I have fun. This time, one of our target groups was golf balls hanging from ropes. It was a “par 5″. 5 golf balls, 5 bullets. My kind of golf, but I only hit one. I just wish I had more time out there. If we were able to train more often, I might just become a golfer.
One of my other favorite things in my job is letting people go when their time is up. There is nothing like the look on someones face after they are told to “roll it up”. Now, I know that jail is a revolving door, and that a large number of releases will eventually end up in jail again. But for that one brief moment, they believe that things will be different, they believe that this is the last time, and that “this time” they will be able to make it work. I get a kick out of that. It makes me feel good to be able to give someones freedom back. Besides, they earned it.
So after all is said and done, there are a couple of things that I like about my job. Who would’ve thought?

There is a man in jail right now who is going to sue us all. He is going to own the county, and he will fire us all. There is a woman who is from the Central Intelligence Agency, and is eagerly awaiting a visit from the President. There is a man living with AIDS who, by all statistical rights, should not be alive. There is a man who is on trial for his 3rd strike, fighting for his freedom. There is a man sobering up to the DUI charge he received the night prior. There is a woman writing a letter to her children trying to explain why she is in jail “this time”. There is a man wondering if his family is going to show up at visiting time. There is a man thinking of ways to get out of jail. There is a man thinking of ways to score more dope when he leaves.

Sometimes I think that the only thing that separates me from most of them, is one or two really dumb decisions. We both feel, we both bleed, we both have wants and needs. There are many things that we have in common, but the only one that counts for now, is the fact that we are both in jail. I am on my side, and they are on theirs.
I think I like this side better.

I usually don’t just link to other people’s stuff as a post, but this was too moving to pass up.
Read about what I am talking about: HERE