About Me — Tobias Hermes. “The function of man is to live, not to…
By: Tobias Hermes
Tags: Introduction, About Me, Baseball, Paramedic, Medicine

“The function of man is to live, not to exist.”

— Jack London

I never wanted to do the job that I do. At least growing up, I had much different aspirations. I had always wanted to write. I loved, and still do love reading and engaging through the written word. I remember waking up to grab the day’s copy of the Idaho Statesman, and sitting down with my dad to learn about the world’s events.

I grew up in a suburban Idaho town. It may be hard to imagine, but Idaho does have suburbs. My father, an electrical engineer and my mother who worked from home, provided me with a sheltered, albeit boring upbringing. As an only child, I was dependent on the interaction of friends and classmates. When home, I would retreat into books or the company of my dad.

My dad’s love for athletics spilled out in every conversation. A star distance runner in college, his love for all sports is infectious. Football, running, basketball, and hockey were all staples in our household. But above all of these, baseball was viewed as a religion. One of my earliest memories is laying on my dad’s chest, asking about the nuances of baseball.

“Why did that guy just walk to first base?”

“How does the catcher know what pitch is coming?”

“Is this guy good?”

When I was eleven, I was old enough to play little league in our community. I didn’t have much experience, aside from a non-official season of tee-ball. I started that season hoping to enjoy the spring with a few friends.

I fell in love with baseball.

I was really good. I could hit. I could throw. I could field. I was a good baseball player from the start. The success and the competition were unrelentingly addictive. I played the next year, and the year after that. I played into high school. I pitched through high school and was awarded a scholarship to play in college.

There’s an interesting phenomenon with collegiate athletes. Someone offers to pay for your tuition to a 4-year college, a very pricey obligation, in exchange to play a game that you love to play. I would have played baseball for free. I would have paid them to let me play ball at the school. All I had to do was focus on playing baseball and getting good grades. It was a great deal. Unfortunately, nobody really talks to you about what you should be studying to ensure a smooth transition into a career.

I started out in college knowing what I wanted to be: a journalist. My head had been filled from inception that I was going to be a sleuth. I was destined to be the next Bob Woodward. The first day of my first journalism major, the professor addressed our class.

“If you’re here aspiring to be a journalist, you may want to re-think your goals. Print journalism is dead, and unless you want to write fluff pieces for minimum wage, I suggest you find a different major.”

Filled with rage, hurt, trying to mend a rapidly deflating ego, I pivoted from study to study. Education? No, not for me. English? Interesting, but not lined with job prospects once I’m off campus. I decided to adventure into athletic coaching. I signed up for sports management, and got my degree.

From the first day on campus as a freshman until the last game of my senior year, I had focused on getting good grades so that I would be eligible for the next series. After the last game of my senior year, I looked at myself and questioned, now what? Sure I had a degree, but I had no idea what to do with it.

Luckily, my wife (oh, by the way, I got married in college.) convinced me to think about emergency medical services. My wife, a nurse, knew that I enjoyed critical thinking and excelled in a team environment. EMS was a decent bet for me to find success.

She was right.

I signed up for the first EMT class I could after I had graduated. I expected to be bored, learning about anatomy and medications. It was entrancing. I hung to every word, every lecture. Each morsel of knowledge more tantalizing than the last.

I completed the class and shortly after became certified. Continuing the momentum, I completed paramedic school and found employment for a local ambulance provider. Every day on the job was a wholly fulfilling experience; interacting with people who needed help. Disclaimer, not every patient in EMS is worthy of a television script. In fact, the overwhelming majority of the job is glorified taxi driving. Still, there is fulfillment in helping someone in a vulnerable moment.

Working as a paramedic has been a gift for me. I get to wake up every day for work excited at the prospect of interacting with people who need my help and solving difficult problems with honed skills. I’m blessed to have coworkers who share my passion and enthusiasm, and it has bred a winning team at our department.

Most recently, my wife and I have moved into Oregon. We have an amazing set of twins, one boy and one girl. We are still learning what the hell we’re doing as parents every day. Most notably, we’ve taken on the challenge of cloth diapering twins.

As I get older, I’d love to branch out from my comfort and test the waters on a few endeavors. I’d love to try my hand at a business, preferably a small restaurant. I’m also interested (obviously) at committing more deeply to writing, specifically as an outlet for myself. Whatever the future holds for me, I hope it continues to provide me an avenue for passion and adventure.