“What’s it like being a Female?”

“What is it Like Being a Female?”

I always get frustrated at this question. One of the days I was teaching at the fire academy, a female cadet pulled me aside and asked me this question. My response was “it's the same as anyone else.” She was confused, but I’ll be honest, that was a bait answer that I wanted her to bite. I then told her, “see that’s where you are taking the wrong turn. You see yourself as different by being female. Just be you, and do the job.” 

The way I see it is, if we expect to be seen the same as the guys, and just get in there and do the job we are trained to do, WHY are we seeing ourselves differently? We aren’t different. It is the same training, the same job, the same task. EVERYONE GOES HOME. The moment you have it in your head that it is going to be different because you are a chick, is the very moment you project that and they treat you as such.

 Now, this is not to say that you should walk in and nut tap and chest bump every bro in the firehouse, with a big ol chew in your cheek. Find yourself, find your balance and ride that train. That’s what is real. Everyone only wants to see the real you. The more fake you play, the quicker you will be called to the carpet and untrusted. Staying true to yourself is the most valued thing you could ever do in this service.

“What you permit, you promote.”-Captain Robert Thoele.