When I was going to college to learn Embalming & Funeral Directing I worked the Graveyard shift at the Coroners Office. In just one week I can remember three suicides and have always been amazed at the method some people use. One was a Bridge Jumper from the Golden Gate Bridge and another lady that jumped from the 10th floor of a hotel wearing a hat, gloves, fur coat and jewelery. Finally, a man that put a shot gun barrel into his mouth and blew his head all over the room. None of these three people were from San Francisco and had come from another state to end their life. This upset the Coroner because he was concerned about statistics that showed San Francisco with a high suicide rate. I could look out the window of the Coroner's office across the street at the Doorman for the famous BLUE FOX restaurant who would signal when a well known celebrity was arriving.
I had two very different careers. The first was as a Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer which is something I wanted to do since the 8th grade and my interest in Egyptology.Training & Study for this career took three years with tuition provided by the Korean GI Bill. I worked in Mortuaries in Monterey,San Francisco & Napa, California with several hundred funerals to my credit.I left the career in my 30’s and went back to college My second career was a Sales Manager for a major Financial Services Co. I earned the CLU& ChFC professional designations while working in this career. I retired as a Sales Mgr. at age 60.
I did a bunch of stuff out of high school before getting on a Purchasing/Contracts/Inventory Management path and going back to night class to get my Accounting degree. Your story reminds me of what I really loved about that profession. Not only did I get to interview applicants and hear their similar tales of paths taken but not really planned, I got to talk to so many business owners of their lives and how they ended up starting their businesses in that particular industry. Every one of us has a story to tell, and the destinations were rarely planned. It's always fascinated me. Gotta love a diverse, robust economy, and our ability/willingness to reinvent ourselves. I often juxtapose it against other times and other cultures where you are born into a caste or a trade, and that's pretty much your predetermined lot in life. I guess each has its advantages and its disadvantages. I share your fondness of Egyptology. I saw the King Tut exhibit in DC when it was touring the states back in the 70s. I still have a few souvenir items I picked up at that exhibit (an ankh, a carved alabaster goblet, etc.), and for years I frequented an African art shop in Old Town Alexandria. Hare's a papyrus picture I made a mini shadow box for back when I was into making picture frames. I have 4 of these that I made.
I have a second cousin who wanted to be a funeral director all throughout high school. This was quite the talk of the family at the time. Everyone thought he would soon forget about it, but he was dead serious. (no pun intended) About half way through college he did lose interest, ended up a recruiter for a small private college for several years, and is now a salesman for a pharmaceutical company. He likes it.
Well, I went from working on the stagecoach ride at Knott's Berry Farm, to being an EMT in Los Angeles and Orange County California, to working in a Warehouse/Shipping-Receiving-Electronics Stockroom to working as a Jr. Buyer and Inventory Management for manufacturing companies. During a short time, I even worked at a Horse Rental Stables at a Regional Park as a Horseback Guide of the Park. I had both OJT and a couple of online classes for the Jr. Buyer and Inventory Management jobs.
Sr. year high school: Part-time package wrapper during Xmas season at dept. store. Summer after high school: Full time shipping clerk in a warehouse. Very arduous, heavy work. During four yrs. college: Lived at home and scored a good part-time job (20-29 hrs. wk.) in the meat dept. of a regional grocery chain (Food Fair). Strong union which resulted in hourly wages on a par with many people in full-time occupations. 80% of my duties were in the deli dept., 10% in seafood, and 10% in meat. Despite part-time status, I was made deli mgr. during the junior yr. of college at one of the smaller stores in the chain. During college yrs., I always had beer, gas, and cigarette money (unlike high school days) and got a 5-year-old but nice '58 Impala, 348 cu. in. engine. Also carried the mail during the Xmas holidays during two college yrs. Six months US Army. Began life career for the Fed. Govt. after army discharge; early retirement 30 yrs. later. Also, National Guard for four years after discharge from army.
Steak fish was a big deal on weekends, 29 cents per lb. The fish they used was hake. One seafood mgr. had me skin and blood a barrel of hake (200 lbs.) every Wed. night. The heads and insides were removed but I had to rip the skin off. He sliced the steaks himself on Thurs. mornings; I guess he didn't trust me with slicing the steaks. Musta considered that task to be too artistic for me. Anyway, I don't want to describe the "fragrance" that was attached to me on Wed. nights. Let's just say that when I got home, mom would say "Where the hell have you been, boy?"
When I was a college student in San Francisco I rode in the Coroner's Van and worked midnight to 8 AM. We picked up various dead people and brought them back to the Morgue. Everything from death of natural causes to suicides with murders and hospital removals. Never accidents. Accidents were picked up by Ambulance and taken to the hospital. All deceased were put on racks in the refrigerated lockers. When I wasn't working the Morgue was a nice quiet place to study.
That reminds me of one of my favorite comedy movies from the 80's, "Night Shift." "Barney Rubble.... what an actor!"
I once was engaged to a young man who decided he was going to go to school to become a Mortician. That ended the engagement real fast.
Never worked in a Morgue, but, like Ken, I worked in EMS and seen enough death to last me for a very long time. And, the number of hours, including overnight at the office, didn't help my second marriage at all. Was truly glad to get out of the occupation and go into manufacturing and work dayshift hours only, weekly pay, all holiday off/paid, time off thru PTO and weekends off to party.