I was a firefighter for 17 years, but after years of being a firefighter, plus 6 years in the Army, my left shoulder got to the point where I needed surgery. Unfortunately, I had to medically retire at 41. I knew I had at least another 10 years left in me, so having to walk away from firefighting was tough. I ended up getting into safety in the oilfield. Financially, I knew it was the right decision, but being away from home for two weeks at a time and working 8 hours away was hard at first. I didn’t like being away from my daughter and GF for that long. I’ve been doing safety for about 5 years now, and I’m doing really well in my career. I’m actually about to start doing offshore safety in the Gulf of Mexico. I still don’t like being away from home for two weeks at a time, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. Looking back, changing careers wasn’t something I planned on doing, but it ended up opening a completely different door for me. submitted by /u/FFSoldier57
Originally posted by u/FFSoldier57 on r/AskMen