Ever since I left my 13 year EMS career back in '99, my life hasn't had the same adrenaline induced excitement it once had. What I was thinking when I went from paramedic to computer geek, I'll never know. Sure, it's much cleaner, neater and nothing gruesome or tragic befalls me each day. But neither does anything wonderous, or incredible or life affirming.

As a PC tech, I don't have the same sense of accomplishment, the same pride in being of service to mankind, the same impact on human life, or the same liberty in using the "F" word as I once did. The PC calls are generally always the same, the users are most definitely the same, and there's relatively little to shake up my day. At least at EMS the drunks were all filthy and disgusting in new and exciting ways.

As a PC tech, I'm dispensible. I'm ordinary. I'm invisible. No one stares at me when I eat anymore and that annoys me. No one vomits on me while I'm working, they generally bleed without involving me and they rarely if ever insult my mother. I am red light and sirenless. My heart rate rarely exceeds 60, and I have never once been spit on.

As a PC tech I've never had to put a user in 4 point restraints, though I suspect many would be more effective in that condition. I've never cursed upon one to their face, threatened them with psych lockup or admonished them for abusing the system and calling the Help Desk too frequently.

As a PC tech, small children don't wave at me with youthful exuberance, nor do they beg for a tour of the PC configuration center. Elderly war veterans do not salute me and big, overweight men with flashlights don't flag me down and point to the scene of the crash.

As a PC tech, I'm never blinded by news camera lights and not one single journalist has ever requested an interview after a save from the blue screen of death. I'm boring. I'm dull. I'm uninteresting and not news-worthy. I suck.

I'm a PC tech. Someone wake me the hell up...