My Life as an Animal Trainer for the United States Air Force Academy

This is a paper I wrote last semester for my English class. It's a paper built on metaphor. Hope you like it.


Clatter and Clang, Clatter and Clang. The sound of my keys against my belt constantly brings me back to the real world and reminds me that it’s just another day. I swipe my card to unlock the gates…time to deal with today’s animals. I walk into my cubicle that the zoo keeper calls an office and look at the days to-do list. Monday… first up the dolphins. Did you know they were one of the smartest animals in the world?
No! It’s Monday…Knowledge test. Why is my roommate not turning the alarm off? Beep…Beep…Beep, finally movement out of my roommate. I hope I can retain this knowledge. If I fail another test I am screwed. I have to get out of this place, I have to be a member of society rather than locked in this place everyone calls a zoo.
It seems as if my days are never ending. Constantly feeding the animals and entertaining the spectators, it’s a tough job to have. Not to mention ensuring that the zoo keeper is always happy. I have a job that few have the desire to do. Who wants to handle other’s problems and protect the spirits of little kids, when they have enough going on in their own lives? Well so far there have been 36,000 animal trainers come through this zoo and there are four others just like the one I work at. So why do we do it? Why do we put ourselves through this added stress? We do it because we choose to, because we want to make a difference in one child’s life. To see a smile on that little girl’s face because Flipper just did a back flip, makes my day and keeps me going.
What’s next…think, think. I know I have forgotten something.. I have no animals to train or take care of until 9:50. I should go visit the otters and check in to make sure they’re doing okay. Then there are always the other trainers to check in on as well. Hopefully as I help the others it will come to me.
Yes…two hours off before my first class. It’s time to relax in the library, catch up with friends, and go over my endless to-do list. Homework for the day…I have to read for history. Any class representative stuff? I don’t think so. I love how close I’ve gotten to my classmates. They are always there to support me and give me advice. Although we wonder why we accepted the appointment to this fine institution, it is the people that keep you here. Throughout basic training we were taught to always support your wingman. Now that the academic year has started we insure that we follow-through and help each other out.
What now!? My radio has just gone off saying there’s a problem at the petting zoo. I take a nice jog after eating a morning snack and I get to deal with the screaming kids who are upset because the dolphins aren’t doing tricks and the ant farm isn’t what they expected. You can never please those screaming kids. They expect so much and there is no way to accomplish all that they want. To make it worse, the General has high expectations for us. We have to figure out how to manage our time and quiet all of those screaming voices that are just another problem, just another animal to take care of and train. I wish the upper classmen would view us as acceptable for even a few minutes. Can the kids not see that I’m trying to fix the problem? Great, one just dropped their ice cream on the ground, another screaming voice. Why would a kid eat ice cream at 8:00 in the morning, that’s right…because they can.
As I go on with my day I go from class to training. Whether it’s reconditioning for the PFT or lacrosse practice, I’m sure to get a work out either way. Running the strips are work enough. All the while, I amlooking at the walls and the fences meant to keep people out, but sometimes it just feels like they are meant to keep me in. On days when we have lunch formations, people line the wall to watch the next generation of America’s leaders march to lunch. Family may only be twenty feet away, but separation is made by a giant wall of all the classes who came before us.
I get back to my office late into the afternoon. Above my desk are pictures of family and friends and reminders of what is still left to be done. Today is still Monday although I have done enough to last a week. It is my night to wash and feed the animals. Starting off with the elephants sounds like a way to wrap up the day to me. I always seem to get lost in my own thoughts, it must be the elephant’s ability to remember rubbing off on me. Giraffes, those are always fun. But its hard to reach every part of them. It’s always nice when they just bend their necks down, in attempt to be helpful. It would be nice if all of life’s problems just bowed down so they were easier to reach and clean up. I almost wish Class Representative responsibilities were the same. Sometimes upperclassmen just throw so much onto my plate it’s unbearable. But this is my life now and I have to get used to it.
Finally my day is over. As the lights slowly go out one by one I look back at my day. What have I accomplished and what is left for tomorrow? I turn off my office light with one last glimpse toward a wall covered with notices and a radio that has finally been turned off after never silencing. I’m headed back to 2012 Viking Lane, USAFA, CO 80841. It’s my home and I would change nothing about it.
Another thing to do, another problem to overcome, another animal to train, it’s all the same. It’s part of my life now. I’m a cadet at the United States Air Force Academy and every morning that I wake up I have to deal with the screaming upper classmen, yesterday’s problems, and today’s animals. All I can do though is keep my head up and constantly remember those elephants, get help from the other four degrees and always keep an eye on the doves. This is my life now, cadet by day and animal trainer by night. Always on display and never having time to myself.