Jonah the Firefighter
What is the work you do?
At an attempt in creating a life balanced in doing work that fuels me, having actual free time at home, and not working just to make money but doing that which fulfills my life goals I have created 8 income streams/investments in my life. REALTOR. Firefighter. Boochcraft business. H&G business. 6 rental houses. Vanguard. Military benefits. Home gardens, eggs, milk, & honey. I work as a firefighter 10 days a month which was a conscious decision at 41 years old to ensure that I’m getting time doing emergency problem solving activities to feed that need and basically getting paid to workout and all that comes with a job like that. I’ve been a REALTOR for years and it’s a compliment to my real estate investing. The main consideration with all the work/investments I do is that I can do meaningful work while still having 4.5 days a week at home to be on the land or working on passion projects. Since I was 15 I’ve been actively investing with the understanding that if I ensure my retirement is handled I am free to follow my heart in any work I currently do.
Jonah the Community Man (second guy from the left)
How does living in community support or inform your presence in the world and what lesson has it provided?
Before community I could show up to events as the best version of myself, hold that field the entire time, and leave the lesser parts of me locked up at home. Living in community is a constant mirror on ourselves, showing us daily if we are living in integrity with all people and systems we agree to. The 8 years I’ve been at EVO feels like a daily practice to show up in my highest and learn to constantly improve myself. I bring this integrity, appropriate behavior, and right relations to the greater community in ways I don’t believe I could have done without living in an Intentional Community. Intentional Community is “adulting” education in a big way, there is no college education for this work.
Some fire season tips:
- Most wildfire house fires in urban environments come from embers entering the attic vents. Cover those vents with plywood or metal when a fire is within 10 miles.
- Make your house accessible for fire engines and leave them a note/whiteboard at your driveway if you have a pool or water source and that you did work to prep your house for fire.
- Do a practice day of packing and evacuating, it will be great to figure out what you don’t know. Have a list of where/what are all the things you will take with you as well do some prep on where you might go. I know multiple people who have had to leave with nothing but pets and clothes they were wearing, best to be a little prepared.
- Be safe.