MY LIFE WITH BRITTLE BONES-36

I called Jill  when my frustration mounted on the job hunt. She was always so reassuring and positive and  it made me feel better to hear her voice and know that everything would be all right. I tried calling her all weekend with no luck. I knew she had moved back home after law school ended. Her final exams went well, according to her last letter, and medically, she was feeling good. Moving was a big deal. Things she had collected over the years in her small  Oslo apartment: books and stuffed animals ( my fault) headed the list.

I finally got through to Jill's mother. She didn't speak English and my Norwegian  was elementary so it was a fun conversation. All I could understand was "ikke me", which meant "not here.'

The plan was to take some time at home with her mother, then decide on the future. We both agreed that her move to the States was still in the cards. She still had things to work out in Norway- her visa, her finances, her information from the embassy. Her family would naturally miss her, but they wanted her to be happy. She repeatedly  told me that she would be the happiest with me. Mom looked forward to her moving over. She would find a job here and we would live happily ever after. 

Reality says it's not that easy. I would soon find out the hard way.

My big break occurred as I scanned the classified ads , as was my normal custom every evening. There was an opening for a caseworker at the nursing home just over the river, about ten minutes from home, a really nice place called the Geriatric Center. 

My dream job  at the Manor was filled. I had to look elsewhere.  The Geriatric Center was run by the county and had an excellent reputation for being a top-notch place for the residents and employees. 

Everything seemed perfect. The ad asked for someone with a degree in Social Work, with nursing home experience and extensive experience working with older adults. I checked all those boxes. The salary and benefits, especially working for the government, were great. The answer to my prayers!

I rushed my resume out in the mail and called for an interview. My confidence grew.

It was a huge facility, over 500 beds. This was my first real job interview ever and I was naturally nervous. Here I was, 32 years old, applying  for a full-time job for  the first  time  ever in my life. 

Maybe I didn't have that much experience. But how can you get the experience if no one gives you a chance? What did I have to lose? 

The Director of Social Services was a nice lady named Dee. Like others before her, I could tell she was surprised I was in a wheelchair, but she was friendly and professional and was impressed by my college achievements. I left thinking that she would give me a fair shake.

After what I thought was a shaky interview because of my nerves , I got another call from Dee. The caseworker position was down to one other person and myself. I prayed some more and waited. 

Transportation would always be a problem until I learned how to drive. But the plan was to hook up with the local Paratransit to get back and forth to work. I hoped that wasn't  held against me.  I hoped any facility would first consider   all the good I could bring to any workplace , especially my care for the residents. I was determined and motivated and wanted to work.

 It would be so nice to make a decent wage, to forget resumes and job interviews, with  all of  the anxiety and stress disappearing. Wouldn't Mom and Jill be proud? I could see the future more clearly now.

After another week of waiting Dee called me. She gently explained that, although she admired my grit. and she was impressed by my life skills and college grades, she was really looking for someone with more on-the-job  experience. The job went to the other applicant.

She promised to keep my resume on file, and if there ever was another opening I would get the first crack at it. I thanked her for her kindness and honesty.

My family had been pretty excited about the possibility of  me working at the well-respected Geriatric Center. I guess I should've kept it to myself until I officially got hired, but damn it, I was excited to finally get a chance.  Discouraged, I moved on.

It was back to sending out more resumes and going to more interviews. The only jobs I was being offered were positions where I would basically stuff envelopes all day. I prayed for  strength.

Meanwhile Jill was working at the bookstore again  as she was in the same situation. She needed to work soon to start paying back her student loans. Her big break came before mine. She landed a job back in Oslo for a big law firm. This was her dream job with such a powerhouse firm, and it was an honor to be hired, especially since she was fresh out of school. ?They had to be very impressed with her. I was so happy for Jill and understood that plans change and we would see each other soon.

So she ended up moving back to Oslo where she found a bigger apartment near her new job. She would be making good money for a entry level attorney, plenty of room to work her way up in the firm, and she could now afford a better place to live.

I was sinking lower and began to believe those who said I may need to look at  the  Philadelphia area  for a job. Then inspiration hit.

I remembered a teacher at my community college  who taught a night class once a week on Government and Social Work. Very red tape and admittedly boring class. but Ed was nice. He was the older, grandfather-type and he took a liking to me. He was also a big guy in the county system, the head of Aging and Adult Services in nearby Norristown. He had mentioned to me if I ever needed a favor to call him. I figured it was time to cash in my chips.

I did call him and was surprised he didn't forget me. I told him I had graduated and was looking for work. Did he know of any openings? 

Ed couldn't promise anything but asked me to visit him the following Monday at his downtown office. Meanwhile I sent him a resume, my hopes higher.

I saw him on that Monday and immediately had a job. Ed told me I was hired, not to worry. I was going to work with him at Aging.

He really didn't explain what my duties were.  I still wasn't sure about transportation to work every day. I couldn't expect Mom to drive me the twenty minutes each day ( although she said she would). The bus route stopped five blocks from the Aging office, which was located in downtown Norristown ( a place way bigger than  Phoenixville). Would I be able to push my chair those five blocks in bad weather, trying to navigate streets and sidewalks without cut curbs? The entire idea seemed rushed and not well thought-out but Ed said not to worry.

Ed wanted to hire me so bad that he agreed, until I worked out another form of transportation, such as paratransit or a car-pool, that  I could take a taxi cab back and forth to work and the county would pick up the cost. That sounded crazy but was  was a very generous offer. 

The other concern was the job itself. It really wasn't a Social Work position.  It was more about computers ( again computers). I really wasn't sure what my responsibilities were. Something about checking numbers and coordinating schedules for county agencies such as Meals on Wheels. That was fine but it wasn't what I ended up doing.

Good-hearted Ed basically gave me whatever he had open at the time, feeling sorry for my situation. That was kind of him, but in the long run it wasn't what I wanted to do. I accepted the position because I was excited to have a job- any job, and hungered to get off disability. It was permanent and it was full-time and I couldn't say no to Ed after all the trouble he went through for me. He pulled more strings for me than a puppeteer.

Ironically, the hospital called me about a week later, offering me a temporary position for the summer. It was close to home and I liked it there. I was familiar with the place and had made friends there from my senior internship. Most of all it was Social Work.

But they couldn't promise me a full-time position in the fall. Come  September I most likely would be back to searching the classifieds and sending out resumes. It was great experience and nice pay but it wasn't forever.

I stayed with the job in Norristown,  even though that little voice inside told me I was wrong. The hospital was disappointed too, and they didn't let me forget it down the road. I just hoped I had done the right thing.