Creepy or Creative?
Dear Reader,
My whole life I’ve always been told that my hobbies and goals were off putting for a girl my age. It’s weird to stare too long at roadkill or the dead flies in the window that have been sun-bleached over the years. It’s unusual to want to work at a cemetery as a child. It’s even worse to look up the criminal records of the surrounding areas on the same iPad I played temple run on. All my strange behaviors as a child would probably lead you to conclude that I am writing to you from behind bars, but I am sharing with you these curious interests of mine from the comfort of my bed behind a heated blanket with an iced chai latte. I am not creepy. I am not a killer. I am not some true crime obsessed freak with a desire to solve a cold case. What I actually am is a teenage girl who wants to become a medical examiner.
Something about the fantasy of early mornings, the bright cool-toned overhead table lights, and the soft radio music playing as I chart my abnormal discoveries makes me feel like I have accomplished a meaningful big girl job. We all know the saying “work hard play hard”, and while it holds some truth it leaves out a key detail. Passion is the biggest component in healthcare jobs. I’ve met countless people that tell me they are going to try nursing because it makes good money, but it’s the same people that drop out after the first inconvenience or patient death. No amount of money prepares you for the things you’ll see on that cadaver table or gurney. Dealing with grief and death every single day can only be conquered with a love for what you do. I’m not saying you need to absolutely love dead people…that would be weird (if you love dead people you have issues). I’m saying that you need to be determined to want to help these families and patients. It takes a very special type of person to do the job, and I strongly believe that I'm that match.
I’ve had so many people ask me why I’d want such a morbid job or if I’d rather be something “easier” like a nurse or orthodontist. A small part of me takes offense every time I get asked that, but I understand that not everyone can imagine a teenage girl willingly wanting to perform autopsies to make a living. There’s a line between asking out of curiosity and asking out of judgment. I can explain myself all day as long as they’re willing to listen, but I won’t waste a second on anyone with a closed mind. Either way, I’ll show everyone one day that mortuary science shouldn’t be looked down on. Everyone who doubts me now will grow to regret it when I’m the medical examiner who is helping their family.
Sincerely,
Katelyn
