Doesn't it feel good?

I was thinking over some of the calls I have had this year and was wondering exactly what is it that drives me to want to be in this field of work. To be honest, I still can't answer the question fully; however, what I have found is that being absent from EMS made the heart grow fonder. Over the course of my 6 month stay in Israel, I thought and did more with EMS than I thought possible. I began blogging about EMS, I began researching about EMS, I listened to podcasts about EMS, I practically lived and breathed EMS without actually stepping foot inside an ambulance (unless you count my brief stint with MDA). Coming back to the US, I have continued this obsession and am now on track to being a CPR instructor, getting my EMD, becoming a WEMT, and am now planning on Paramedic school. I am teaching, on a regular basis, new recruits to my College EMS squad, helping them feel comfortable on scene and being that go to guy that people can go to with even the weirdest of questions. Moral of the story: I am hooked and I love EMS. This is not love because of the money (or lack thereof) that exists in EMS, nor is because of the benefits (also questionable) in EMS; rather, my love for EMS stems from helping people. Seeing the smiles on the faces of patients whom I have helped, getting satisfaction from knowing that even my brief interaction with a patient has brightened their day, and lastly, feeling pride in what it is that I do on a daily basis. Yes, there are those days where work is frustrating and patients make you want to scream, but that doesn't matter in the long run. In the grand scheme of things, the good patients that make you feel worth something inside are what really count. Even for those bad patients, yes even them, we have done something for them whether they realize it or not, so feel pride in what you do each day, wake up with a smile, and do the best job you can do.