Dinner Was Late Tonight

Tonight, I went to a CEU training sponsored by the Lubbock County Medical Society.  It started at 5:30 PM  went through 8 PM.  I had planned to leave work in plenty of time to feed the cats and then go to the training.  Well, events intervened, so I fed the cats extra in the morning, knowing it would be after 8 PM before I returned home.  I weighed cancelling, but it was a topic I wanted to hear: Human Trafficking, and I hate to make an RSVP and cancel at the last minute.  So, I did attend the training. It was good. 

When I arrived home shortly after 8 PM, Haiku and Taki were waiting for diner at the door.  I fed them quickly with dry food, then added two types of moist food, including human tuna that I had opened in the morning.  Haiku, as she does, ate several times, then cried at the selection she was provided.  But then she ate more. 

I hated to be late feeding the cats.  But they survived.  

Learning About Developmental Disabilites and Head Injuries

Today, I did training for future correctional officers and talked about dealing with people with developmental disabilities and head injuries, and the implications for how the correctional officers related to them. A colleague sat in the session, and she said she could see some light bulbs going on and some wheels turning about what this meant for them. Which is what my goal is. If I reach one correctional officer, I have done what I needed to do.  I think my day was successful.  I have to admit, the class was very engaged, attentive, and seemed to be eager to learn (which is  not always the case.)

I appreciate the input from my colleague.  I felt like I was connecting because the correctional officers asked some very good questions.  And some were not so interested. 

I also speak about the role of the social worker at my unit.  And I make it about how the officers can helps us, interface with us, and understand what we are doing.  My supervisor previously sat in on this presentation, and she told me how much that added to the presentation, and was an aspect of training that she would not have considered, given the topic.

Doing two hours of training when I am not used to it drains me.  But when the class seems to get something out of it, I know I have not wasted my time.

Paperwork

Tonight, I was working on the paperwork for the South Plains Branch of the National Association of Social Workers Texas  continuing education luncheon series http://www.naswtx.org/default.asp?.  It is cumbersome and complex: reconciling sign in sheets and attendance verification forms.  I also review the evaluations and forward those on to the chair person so she can forward that information to the speaker.  And, I send the information about the people who paid for CEUs at the meeting to the person who submits that information and the money to the state office.

Well, to make matters more complex, Haiku thought she needed attention while I was doing this. She kept sitting on the forms, and crying for attention.  I held her, and that seemed to console her, but after she jumped off my lap, she would end up on the paperwork again.

I am reminded of Mack, my beloved dachshund terrier mix.  I would bring paperwork home to work on. After work, we usually went for a walk either in the neighborhood or at a local park . When we got home, sometimes Mack liked to be outside.  And if the weather was nice, I would join him.  But I often brought documentation to do at home.  He would let me work on the documentation for about an hour, and then he would become insistent on sitting on the paperwork. He was right. I did not need to bring that work home.  He convinced me to change from that job. 

I enjoyed that job, but realized, one holiday weekend, that I had become an "adrenaline junkie."  I had spent a long weekend on call, with very little on call activity.  But that Monday night, I received several calls, and my adrenaline kicked in.  I realized then that I needed to get out of that job, because I did not want to live on an adrenaline high. I recall discussing this with one of the doctors who did not want to see me leave the job. She told me she really liked the adrenaline high and it made it all worthwhile for her. I could not imagine.

I am forever grateful I got out of that job, and the adrenaline rush it repeatedly gave me.

My next job allowed me to watch the paint dry and the grass grow.  That was better, and as always, I gave my 100%. But it was not as challenging as it could have been.

Moving on to the prison provided me the right mix of challenge with out emergency. The prison job has paperwork, but nothing that I can bring home. What a blessing. I am so thankful that I have a job that does not allow me to bring paperwork home.  

Training

I work for a large bureaucracy, and so many things do not make sense, and so often it would seem that one hand does not know what the other is doing.

So it was recently at work.  My department was scheduled to attend a specialized training for 5 hours. Then, the notice came out that in addition to the specialized training, we had to attend a 2 hour mandatory general training on the same subject.  That made no sense.  In spite of our protests, we were told we must attend the 2 hour training.

My supervisor fought hard to resist this.   To the point where she went to the first of multiple sessions of the 2 hour training and spoke to the trainer.  Who told her, indeed, that the longer specialized training would include all the elements of the general 2 hour training. Yeah!

Sometimes people in bureaucracies are so literal. They understand the letter of the law but forget the spirit of the law.  I am so thankful my supervisor's good sense prevailed.  (And, she skipped the part of the 5 hour training that duplicated what she had already attended.)