My Very LONG Week...

This week I have been training for my new Resident Service Technician position at Home of Guiding Hands (a nonprofit for mentally retarded folks), and I also started school at the local JC to knock out some prereq's for my future OT Master's program. What a week- 12 hr days getting lectured! All day long at work I hear about how to treat the "consumers" with respect, dignity, and to really listen to what their behavior is trying to communicate. I usually think to myself "wow, how nice would it be if all of us applied that much awareness and patience to everyone in our lives!" Suffice it to say, I have had more revelations and insights on basic humanity 101 in the last week than I have had in the last 6 months.

I can't even begin to imagine how frustrating it would be to have feelings, emotions, thoughts etc. and have no way of communicating what I need, except by banging my hand on the wall or by some form of generic sign language. I have to admit, I am really intruiged and impressed by all of the "rights" that the government and this agency grant and ensure to consumers. There is no political correctness or dancing around real issues/problems in this industry, due to the extreme and obvious nature of consumer problems. I think that is what attracts me so much. Their behavior is either appropriate or it is not, and nobody lies or downplays when behavior is not. Mostly all of the consumers were at some point in the past living a normal life, some even were happily married with children...then had a tragic illness occur or an accident that gave them brain damage. A lot of this work is literally cleaning up poop and getting punched in the face, or doing things with (not for) the consumer thousands of times in order to train them an alternate skill, which they may or may not pick up on in varying degrees at some point in the next 10 years. It is hard to imagine what it will really be like when I actually start in person! So much patience!!!

School is also going to be interesting. I am taking Medical Terminology, Anthropology, Abnormal Psychology, and Child Development. One of my teachers is almost totally derailed in his sense of morality and logic, another is very interested in talking about transgender homosexuals and is also a staunch believer that the evolution theory is not a theory. True to form, I let them know as soon as possible that I am a christian. The reactions are just great! Hey, it's better to get it out on the table so at least they think about what they say during lectures, instead of just assuming that EVERYONE is an Obama freak and enduring an entire semester of getting put down without a fight.

I'll keep you posted :)