Flummoxxed

         Here I sit, reflecting back on a situation that took place a little over a week ago. I will spend more time just perusing about what happened expecting the reader to imagine for themselves the ensuing dialog.

         I was so very priviliged to be contracted to be a team lead for Erie homes for Children and Adults. I had just arrived on the shores of lake Erie not more than four months before that initial call. I was being asked to do something I was sure I could figure out in time. The only question was how much time was I going to get? I walked into the doors of Whitney Way, a group home for intellectually disabled adults. I met my supervisor who was the house manager. I let her know I was new to town and was looking forward to an opportunity. The agenda for the contracting agency was for me to get groceries and attend safety meetings. There was a short sentence about supervising a small staff. In their perception it would be easy. I went into my new work situation with these directive and a time of ninety days to show that I could do the job.

         I got along real well with the residents. For me it was a spiritual experience, which belied my vocation as pastor, which I intentionally kept under wraps to keep me focused on my team leader identity. I was deciding that I would see in the five male residents that I would learn more what it meant to be human, a man and in relationship to God. I had done this work before and it was very clear to me regardless of the outcome it would be a meaningful experience.

Jim was the villain among the five residents that dwelt at Whitney, also the oldest and he prided himself on that fact. He had been diagnosed with dementia. All the staff except me were woman and they disliked his hygienic habits with a passion and not only that he collected medical supplies used to manage the house. When something got lost he was sought after and much of the time the items could be found in his room. He loved the Hardy boys, knew rock and roll bands and there songs, playing xbox and later in our relationship we shot baskets together. He saw his main identity as maintenance and passed off just about everything else off as woman's work. He would be the first to greet me. I knew I was home when I met Jim at the door.

Chris was the light bulb. He lit up in all manner of ways as he made his way toward residents and staff in his wheel chair. He was skinny and in between the quiet times would express in loud straight sitting exuberance with teeth beared his love for sport, the house manager, who he would tease and sports. I was a Red Sox fan and he loved the Yankees. We loved to talk back and forth. He seemed to always want to root for the opposite team I hoped would win and would slip me a high five and a thumbs down. "They are going down". We enjoyed each others company. He was popular among staff. He was compliant and always aimed to please.

John was the big silent St. Bernard type. He would could some lumbering along in this chair and make high pitched noises that became more pronounced as he got upset. He loved to eat, do puzzles and strum rhythmically on his book covers as he sat in his chair. He was a big man with a presence that found opportunity to get in the way. He always meant well and did well in doing what was asked of him even if he did not like it. Though on occasion he would rebel.

Bobby was the wayward waif. He had the everready bunny prance as he plodded endlessly around the halls. He would make repetitive happy noises such as Bob, bob, bob, which coincidentally was his name. He was an escape and fall risk. He was always good for a hug, though you needed to be on the look out for his hands that might pinch, grab or punch when one least expected. You could hear the girls constantly saying nice hands Bobby. He enjoyed playing with a big yellow balls and smaller plastic, cloth balls, endlessly watching scooby doo and Elmo when he was not roaming around. He also like wheel of fortune. She almost always had a smile.

JB was probably my favorite. He was the captain of the ship and had been wounded in battle and found the determination to go forward and make the best of the life given him. He had been hurt badly when a staff accidently dropped him on his back. He did not like Jim at all. He loved to use words like bull shit at the appropriate times and was forever saying thankyou which endeared him to everyone. He had a Billy goat beard and roamed around hunched up with hands tight moving a joy stick independly around the residence. To me he looked like a commander of the star ship enterprise. He loved to play Candy Crush and watch his favorite teams play ball. He also loved Hee haw and would asked for my phone as we prepared for time to do his shower.

These guys were my reason for being. I loved them and I believe they each in their own way loved me.

It was Monday of last week I was called into the office of the top lady. She was the boss over all staff. She shared a job description, that I had asked to have several weeks before because I was fearful of the dissonance between expectations of the contractor as opposed to the agency. I had been hired on by the agency two months before. I then got the job description I wanted with the news that I was no longer team lead because I had not passed the med observation part of the job description. I was taken a back, totally caught off guard. She told me I had signed off on the job description and therefore I had no excuse. Before I could take in the news, she went on to tell me that Tuesday would be my last day of employment at the house. I would thence forth become a twenty hour employee, which would mean I had no benefits. To finish off her spiel she said I had till Wednesday to decide where I was to go next with the understanding I would not go back to Whitney Way.

I was flumoxxed. I go up and decided to get on with my life until on this day I realized I had not yet heard from the sub position that she said she would set me up with, since I wanted it, Wednesday last week. So today on a Thursday I called HR to find out what was happening. They have still not called me back!!!