If you don't know where I work you don't pay much attention to what I do with life. I rehab injured, sick and orphaned Birds of Prey. I love my job. It's my passion, there is nothing else I'd rather do. I go through pain, sadness, anger, frustration and somewhere in all of that I still find the happiness. over half of the birds who come in die, but I still find happiness in my job. I love teaching others about the birds, I love talking to them, working with them. I love helping the injured ones who come in, even if they don't make it or we have to euthanize it. I know I tried or at least stopped their pain. I spend large portions of my time dealing with rodent and bird shit. I kill rats, mice, rabbits, quail and any other "feeder" we're given so the birds have food.
I work hard in the hot sun, cold snow, pouring rain or whatever else nature can throw at me. We work out of an abandoned pig barn which was converted to a rehab center in the 1980s. The building is currently condemned. My job isn't safe, easy or glamorous. It's not ideal for the majority of people even if they think "oh cool you work with birds" they don't actually know what I do when I don't have the short amount of time to take pictures of the birds or talk to visitors.
I get footed, bitten, shit on, puked on and still I keep going back. Visitors yell at me, upset people call me names, idiots tell me I'm wrong when I try to explain something to them. Still, I keep going back.
I would never turn my back on my job, my passion.

I was told today that if things don't change and we don't start getting more money soon I may be losing my job. I have 6 months (at most) to hope the non-profit I work at can get more money...
Shitty economy, poor rehab/nature center struggling to stay afloat... I'm not optimistic.
We have 2 paid employees who can care for the birds, myself and my boss. We have volunteers but my boss and I are the only 2 who can do everything needed to keep that place moving and save those birds. Before she talked them into hiring me she was working 7 days a week, over 8 hours a day. She gets days off now, she even gets to go see her family out of state on occasion. She obviously was upset there is a possibility of me losing my job.
I don't want to lose my job...

I cried the entire way home thinking about losing my job... what I'd do... where I'd go.
Honestly I can't THINK of my life without the birds. I look forward to go to work, don't mind working late or on my days off. It's part of who I am, those birds are part of who I am.

I just... don't know... I'm still trying to hold back the tears so I don't ruin the evening for everyone.

This isn't just a job. It's so much more than that.
I don't want to lose part of who I am.