"every girl I talk and start to date I tell them flat out nothing is going to come between me and firefighting. and that's the truth. nothing will. not school nothing. firefighting is who I am and risking my life for others is what I do. if they cant handle that then they are gone"

Can't help a whole lot with the "too nice" part, but this jumped out at me. Take it from someone who has been there, maybe some things should come between you and firefighting. The fire service is very hard on relationships. Just so you know I know what I'm talking about - for many years, fire/ems/hazmat was my life. Looking back now, I can see I went way overboard with my career. For a lot of that time I was working full time for one fire department and coming home to volunteer with another. I routinely worked 90-100 hour weeks in the summer and over the holidays when other guys were taking their vacations. Once worked 60 hours straight, and 133 hours that week. Didn't get away from it even off duty. I've worked a drowning in front of my kids on vacation and a fatal auto accident with them sitting in my truck watching.

I neglected my kids and ruined my marriage. To really finish things off, I spent way too much time with one of our female firefighters and had two affairs with her. DON'T BE LIKE THIS!

Don't get me wrong, I'll never regret the years I spent in the fire service. Saving lives, protecting property, and aiding the sick and injured is the best thing I could have done with my life and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I do wish I'd used a little more common sense and kept some balance in my life.

Remember you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. If you want a relationship, take time to work on it. Go on a date somewhere outside your district. Let the lady know she's a priority by getting away from the station for a while and letting the other guys (and girls) do their job. Give yourself permission to have a life outside of firefighting. You'll last longer in the fire service and have a more rewarding life too. Take it from someone who's been there.

Hope things work out for you.

Bowhunt72 - Firefighter II / EMT- Paramedic / Hazardous Materials Technician