A Love StoryOctober 15, 2005
The month is half gone. Nonsense abounds here in the sleep-away camp/state hospital atmosphere of the Red Cross shelter. Some folks moved on this a.m., after being shunted around for 4 days to 3 other shelters. Others may have moved in—I don’t know anymore.
This morning as I was getting ready to leave on my a.m. run, one of the crew, a guy who calls himself “V.”, who I worked with on 2 other runs, came up to me and told me I was rude, my behavior was unacceptable, I wasn’t a supervisor but I acted like one, and he wasn’t going to put up with it anymore. I thought he was joking and asked him if he was. He was serious. Saying I tried to boss everyone around. I was stunned. I had grown to dislike him during the last run we had together, but his take on me was like a blindside punch. I was stunned, not the least by the poisonous way he talked and the near-hate in his expression. I immediately went to J. and told her I would no longer work with him. She asked if I wanted moved to another crew, or wanted him moved. I said to leave it to R., the driver, and the upshot was he was moved while I stayed. Such weirdness.
Tempers are short and people behave in odd ways here. Rather than a group of adults who have thrown in their lot together to help others, the group sometimes seems more like a bunch of special needs kids in a state home. Not everyone. But enough so that the drama extends to the supervisors and managers.
I’ve been here (in LA) a week now, and done 5 runs. I’m beginning to feel like a long-timer.
The place is packed with cots.
Still fighting off what feels like bronchitis. This a.m. my sputum came out very deep yellowish-green, a sign of infection, and I have been somewhat hoarse-sounding. I try not to let it get me down. I keep telling myself I’m getting better everyday.
K. went to spend the weekend at Wildwood with J & H. I keep forgetting it’s Satuday.
I’m getting used to the devastation all around me. Today we were at the “Katrina Dump” by accident.
The workers there were talking to each other about casualties, and I think they are still pulling bodies out of the wreckage. This was only a few miles from my shelter.
This morning as I was getting ready to leave on my a.m. run, one of the crew, a guy who calls himself “V.”, who I worked with on 2 other runs, came up to me and told me I was rude, my behavior was unacceptable, I wasn’t a supervisor but I acted like one, and he wasn’t going to put up with it anymore. I thought he was joking and asked him if he was. He was serious. Saying I tried to boss everyone around. I was stunned. I had grown to dislike him during the last run we had together, but his take on me was like a blindside punch. I was stunned, not the least by the poisonous way he talked and the near-hate in his expression. I immediately went to J. and told her I would no longer work with him. She asked if I wanted moved to another crew, or wanted him moved. I said to leave it to R., the driver, and the upshot was he was moved while I stayed. Such weirdness.
Tempers are short and people behave in odd ways here. Rather than a group of adults who have thrown in their lot together to help others, the group sometimes seems more like a bunch of special needs kids in a state home. Not everyone. But enough so that the drama extends to the supervisors and managers.
I’ve been here (in LA) a week now, and done 5 runs. I’m beginning to feel like a long-timer.
The place is packed with cots.
Still fighting off what feels like bronchitis. This a.m. my sputum came out very deep yellowish-green, a sign of infection, and I have been somewhat hoarse-sounding. I try not to let it get me down. I keep telling myself I’m getting better everyday.
K. went to spend the weekend at Wildwood with J & H. I keep forgetting it’s Satuday.
I’m getting used to the devastation all around me. Today we were at the “Katrina Dump” by accident.
The workers there were talking to each other about casualties, and I think they are still pulling bodies out of the wreckage. This was only a few miles from my shelter.
posted by Riggsveda at 5:51 PM
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