I will pick gender association to my lifestyle. I was born female, blonde hair, blue eyes. I am tall, used to be really thin, now a little more lived in. I was stereotyped as a Barbie doll. Men wanted to take me out, women didn’t really like me. After high school my parents pushed me into modeling. So, I walked runways, fashion shows and hosted events by local celebrities. I was supposed to be the all American girl who married the local rich boy political figure. I was supposed to get my college degree and make my self independent (while being married to the rich guy, go figure). I was supposed to be everything my parents weren’t. That wasn’t what I wanted to be. I wasn’t comfortable being stared at by strangers in the modeling scene. I didn’t like the local rich boy, he was a complete player and kind of a geek. I didn’t want to finish college, I wanted to explore the country. I didn’t know who I was. My parents were successful and always wanted to look good in the community’s eyes. So they pushed me in a direction opposite the way I wanted to go. It took me until my 30’s to shake their idea of socialization and develop my own. I met this woman who I became very good friends with. She was studying to be a paramedic. I watched her and listened to her stories and one day, life flight helicopter was making a landing on the roof of Sacred Heart hospital. My heart raced, I got this stupid grin and realized whom I was. I was a Paramedic and a fire fighter. I wasn’t Barbie, rich or successful. Looks fade and dating gets really old. My family was the social agent and reason I chose this profession. It was everything they weren’t. It was opposite of what they thought my life should be like. I could not adjust to their definition of who their daughter was. I had to find out on my own. I didn’t marry the town rich boy, I married the town drunk the first time, the second time I married an idiot (sorry, still bitter about that one) and now, I’m marrying (for the last time ever!) a police officer who may soon be a Federal Police Officer and I’m couldn’t be more proud or happier. I love my family and thank them for pushing me to find out that even though I was born a woman, I could work as hard and be as tough as a man. That may sound stupid or even unrealistic to some but to the women who are in this profession or similar know what I mean.