Sunday, April 21, 2013

Welfare-Shame

8/2/12 On time 8:55am-not allowed to enter the facility until 9:00am I stood by the door until someone came , unlocked it and let us. There is a two minute difference between the three clocks inside the facility one over the receptionist area, another on the post between the computer room and the class room and one in the computer lab. 

Today’s topic: Interview Questions & Activity As soon as I entered the facility, I was called over to have a seat with the office manager, who said, “I heard you have an interview today” “I said, No tomorrow morning, Friday at 9:00am” She asked, “Did you write it down on the sheet I answered,”I’ll forward you the email today” She said, “Okay” I went and sat in the classroom and at 9:15 the facilitator came in at the first break at 10:15am I had been taking notes, writing and this is what I got: “Perception, perception” the first facilitator said then asked, “What are you writing, well I know what you’re writing, said the second facilitator. “I mean I saw what you were writing,” said the other facilitator “I saw what you were writing too,” said the other facilitator “but perception, it is perceived that you are not listening when you are looking down, and writing away, the perception is that you are being rude,” said the other facilitator.

 “I like taking notes, I said. “I saw what you were writing the date the topic and notes on interviewing”, said the other facilitator. I explained that I like note taking and it helps me to practice what I need to know. I go over what I am learning later and commit it to memory for usage when I need, it. Then I said, “I understand we don’t get a print out of the presentations due to cost of printing and paper and so, as it has been explained, that you don’t print out anything more than a copy or two of our resumes… that’s all.” Some how I felt that was not the end of it, so I did not take another note; I left my pen and paper in my bag. Little did they know I was also recording? 

 I felt they were being intimidated by the fact that I wanted to write down what was going on, what I was experiencing daily and if somehow it would be a problem as if I were privately reporting or spying on them and intended to report their behavior, well, not specifically but to mention how it went daily with their involvement and how it felt to be a part of this with them in it. That’s all no harm no foul just me. 

I went to the interview the following Friday morning and got the job, it is temporary for three months, it is a two hour trip on the public transit system, It was made clear in the interview that the employer would prefer you to have your own transportation and not use the public system. The public system schedule will not permit you to be available for work all of the hours necessary, the earliest bus will not get you to the stop until ten minutes before you are to begin, I imagine you would be late everyday with the walk from the bus stop to the job, it takes all of the ten minutes to get into the building. This is a challenge, I have a car but it needs a fuel pump and no one is going to give me the money to fix it. I’ve hoped and prayed and asked for the money but no. So, I don’t know, I hope I can get by and work long enough to earn enough to get the car fixed right away, I feel hopeful, but we’ll see. 

It is still a shame that we cannot get the money upfront in this system, maybe not everyone, but those like myself, who had the purpose of gaining or should I say maintaining self-sufficiency. The money upfront in this system would help reserve our inclination to attack the program and the facilitator’s of it. No wonder they are worried about someone writing and no wonder people are treated like children and talked to the way they are here and no wonder the design of the program is not really helping anyone, but shaming everyone.

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