A Day's Work

People often say to me - "wow, you really do the hard work. You're such a good person to be doing what you're doing." To them I say take a look at this:

SOCIAL WORKERS/DISCHARGE PLANNERS
Organization: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Job Type: Full-Time
Description: Provide discharge planning services on Rikers Island to inmates with severe and persistent mental illness. An MSW and valid CSW or LMSW plus experience in mental health, case management, or social work and knowledge of community mental health resources, substance abuse and entitlements programs are key. If interested, please apply online at www.nyc.gov/health/careers. Enter JVN #109439 in JVN search bar.

The person who does THAT - well, heck - THAT is somebody who deserves one HUGE pat on the back. Shit. What a job.

My job it seems, lately, has become smelly. I get all the smelly clients. No joke. Each one smells worse than the next... The scary thing is, I seem to be getting used to it! I have the smelly client with the roaches, the smelly client with the majenta walls and dark blue ceiling, the smelly client who has not done any laundry in at least three months. Yep. Got 'em.

Today I had the special treat of taking a client to the bank to close her account. Her home attendant stole from her. $2,000. She was so distraught. This woman had actually been warned about the home attendant - by her cousin -- but since the H.A. had never done anything to HER - decided to keep the H.A. So, she is even angrier because she put her trust in this woman... and it was abused.

I tell you, though, it's so nice to get the concrete result of what you do. So often, you know, you don't. But the fact that I was the first person this client phoned, and that she called me "My Social Worker.".... It felt good.

And a secret: I still get a little buzz when one of my clients refers to me as "My Social Worker." Yep. I just do.

Have ya' ever noticed.....

.... that the guys (men, males, non-females) comment on my other blog and the women on this one. Hmmmm, is this one girlier? Do I write more girlie things on this one? Or is the other more masculine?

THoughts?

Nice.

So, I'm walking today with Max and he goes: "Mom, I want to get a permanent tattoo." Two women were walking by and they look at me. I look at him. He looks at me. "Kidding! I'm kidding!"

Right.

So I had a great night last night. Started off really crappy. X called about 4 times, getting on me about something that needed to be done for our divorce agreeement. I had already started doing it - but apparently it wasn't fast enough for him. He's telling me "You have to call them, call them, call them! Keep on it!" RIght. This from the man who does.... oh......: Nothing. All the emails from the mediator - he never answers, I do. I always get her all the info she asks for. Now. All of a sudden. "Get on it."

ANd then threre's the: "If we don't get this done then I'll run out of money - and if I don't have any money -then you won't." And this, of course, is my fault. And there's the: "And I don't have anybody to ask for help." ALso said like that is MY fault. Sorry. My family supports me. My fault. Wish I had one that was oh so much more dysfunctional like yours.

Then the best: "I'm going to keep calling you and calling you until it's done."

It certainly was not the worst he's ever put out. But for some reason - just hit me. I tried to psych myself out of it, but by the time I saw J later that evening & he asked: "How are you doing?" Well, the tears came. (You know how it is, when you're on the edge of tears... and can get through it unless somebody says something nice to you...)

But on to the good part of the night. We saw the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in a place called the Spiegeltent (Which I tried to upload a picture of, but for some reason I can no longer upload photos here! Gotta figure that out!) I tell you guys - this was a tent set up on Pier Seventeen - right by South Street Seaport. So, it's right on the East River - between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges (and how bummed am I right now that I can't upload any photos?!?!)

There were chairs and tables set up right on the water, there was this cool tent set up where we went inside to see the band... and the music was so good - felt like I had perma-grin on my face the whole time.

Then after we sat outside, had this amazing beer, and just looked at the Brooklyn Bridge all lit up.... so nice.....and so great...

But honestly: Every time he & I spend together is great. Truth.