Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Potpourri - Of Biblical Origins and Other Stuff

I went to a church in Sunday! *Gasp* Yes, I am an avowed Agnostic, but I'm not above going to church in this case because they give away free bus passes sometimes.

Anyway, I was actually reading the Old Testament and it occurred to me, like so many other that in the Bible the first man was Adam, the first Woman Eve, and they had sons, who then married and went on to have children of their own, and so on and so on...

Except where did Cain and Abel's wives come from? An age old question for Non-Believers such as myself.

So I gave that some of the logical thought that I am capable of and I came to the conclusion that Adam and Eve were not the first humans on the planet. They were the first Hebrews. To me that is the only thing that makes sense. Of course those that wrote the Bible thought that their people were the chosen ones and all others were less than chosen. So this whole concept of the world or even civilization beginning in 4000 B.C. is simply when the Hebrews began, and not the real beginning.

Now that we have that mystery solved, let's move on. Let's all move on.

In my personal life, things are moving... slowly. I continue to look for work and continue to get denied. I have been to a doctor about my shoulder, paid for by Project Access of Wake County, and had an MRI done on the shoulder. The results were that I have a slight tear of my rotator cuff and a slight muscle tear that is causing most of the pain I feel.l But the lack of movement of my shoulder and the weakness of the arm itself is due to nerve damage. I am awaiting approval for an EMG, a nerve test to confirm this and to confirm the extent of the damage. But in the end, the only thing that will heal nerve damage is time. The doctor said 18 months, but it has already been a year. So I wait.

And while I'm waiting for that, I'm also waiting on Vocational Rehabilitation. They have now confirmed that I have a problem with my shoulder and knee. I just went for a vocational assessment with their counselor, and he agrees that I am capable of handling computer training courses and will recommend that Voc Rehab pay for getting computer certification. But he has to file his report and my case worker has to schedule a meeting once that is done. So another 2-3 weeks of waiting for that. Seems like all I do is wait. Yet I don't have the resources to dive in myself. So I will wait. Like I have been since September.

In the shelter life goes on. A long-time resident there finally got his own apartment, and I'm told he misses the social structure of the shelter. His friends are worried he may turn to drinking again. That is something I can't relate to. As the counselor confirmed for me, I do indeed have an INTP personality. He gave me a description of it and one of the blurbs there says that I'm at home wandering through my own mind. The best description of me ever written. But he says it's a good thing because INTP's make good computer people.

In other news at the shelter, a crackdown has begun on people who have been in the program more than a year. People are being forced to leave. They may eventually get to me, so I have to keep my nose to the grindstone. A new training class is starting next week, for those interested in a career in hospitality. That includes waiters, which I couldn't do even before my shoulder got injured. But what does interest me are things like Front Desk Clerks and Night Auditors. I could do those things. Right now every bit of training I can get will be much appreciated.

So life does indeed go on, and days are starting to blur together. All I can do, though is hope that something happens that changes that. I can't rely on others to help me, but when they do, I can't turn them down either.

That's all for now. Have a wonderful March!


Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Santa Claus is Homeless

That's right, we have our very own Santa Claus at South Wilmington Street Center. His real name is Bradlee, but he answers to Santa and Santa Claus, because he looks like Santa.

Sadly though, he does not share Santa's magical nature. He is over 400 lbs, has Diabetes and breathing issues, to the point where he uses a machine to help him breathe. His legs and feet are discolored, and he can barely walk.

He used to be in the Merchant Marines, and has stories to tell from that era. He showed me a picture of Hiroshima after the bomb dropped and also ones he took there recently.

He was most recently a cab driver, but lost that job when the company he worked for made him take a physical, which he failed.

Yet he can be jovial at times. During Christmas he wore a red Santa hat and I'm sure the kids who came in to help serve thought he might be Santa. But this Santa is sick. A sick as the real Santa would be if he were not magical. He just got approved for Medicaid and is fighting for disability benefits.

Yes, Santa is homeless, jobless and sick and relying on the government for help. Let's hope this Santa gets his wish!