Day Two Didn't Go So Well

 

I'm gonna make this a Two-Fer Post kinda day since my earlier Post was not very uplifting a Topic to consume a whole Post with.  I thought about even deleting the whole Post, but will keep it up for now anyway.  It's being read a lot, so perhaps it's of interest, hard to tell.  This was Princess T's first full Day on her new Job and she had been told to come in thru the Front Doors and they'd be Open, they weren't.  So, she's standing there trying to get the attention of the Two Older Women Employees already inside with the Key and they kept ignoring her.  I'd never seen the Older Hispanic Woman who eventually came to the Door and finally was convinced she was a new Employee, so, clearly they didn't recognize the new Hires.   I was so relieved that the Woman FINALLY, after about 10 Minutes of knocking, came to the Door becoz my Granddaughter didn't know what to do and was close to Tears and an Anxiety Attack.

That's not how I wanted her to begin her first full Day, an Emotional Wreck, but, I was driving her there that early in my Jammies.  So, I didn't wanna get out of the Truck and go to the Door and look like a Crazy Homeless Person.  For sure the Woman wouldn't have come to the Door then!  *LOL*   I saw she was wearing a Badge and perhaps the Newbies will get their Badges too or be formally introduced to early working Staff who Man the Doors and let Employees in 2-3 Hours before they're Open to the Public?  I Hope Princess T was able to gather herself before starting Work after such a Panicky start to being denied entrance into the Building!?  It brought back a Bad Memory I had as a Teenager on a First Day at a Job.

I'd Worked since I was 14 in Europe and again right after High School here in America at Age 17.  But on a Job Years later when I was about Princess T's Age, I went to work for a Fine Jewelry Store in Phoenix.  Well, the Owner was a notorious Jokester but I didn't know that.  So, he thought it would be Funny to come to the Door when I showed up on my First Day, as a nervous Teenager, and insist I needed a Password to get in!!!   I told him I didn't have one and hadn't been told I needed one, so he wouldn't let me in and I almost burst into Tears too.  He felt so Bad and in fact was an Excellent Boss and Employer, so good to his Employees, treating us like Family, I have very fond Memories of that Job before I decided to begin my Banking Career.

I actually met my future Boss and Mentor who was a Female Vice President at a Major Bank, while working at the Jewelry Store.  Her Husband had Worked with me in the Watch Repair Department and was a Watchmaker.  He had been telling his Wife what a smart Young Person I was and she then agreed to hire and mentor me, I was just turned 21 Years old.  With her as my Mentor and introducing me to her cultivated Contacts in the Industry, I made Assistant Vice President and was running my own Departments by the time I was 23.  I owe Maryanne a Debt of Gratitude for taking me under her Wing, she was my Grandma's Age at the time and had broken Glass Ceilings to rise to the top of a previously Male Dominated Field in a very Misogynistic Industry.

I tell people that's why it is important for Kamala to break this final Glass Ceiling and be the First American Female President, an added Bonus that she's a person of Color.   Because tho' it will not end Racism or Sexism, it certainly will show every Young Girl and Woman in America that nothing is impossible for them to achieve and it is Possible.   She would pave the way for Future great Female Leaders to come after her.  I'm Grateful to every Woman and person of mixed Ancestry like myself who paved the way for my Generation to Succeed and know what is Possible.  Yes, discrimination still existed and was way more blatant back then for me than it became in later Years.  

We still have a long way to go Baby, as the Old Ads used to say.  *Winks*  I want my Granddaughters and Great-Granddaughters to know they can be and do anything without Gender or Ethnicity having to be what Denies them the opportunity.  I'm so glad I was Raised with no Gender assigned Roles or to feel less than any other Human Being due to my Gender, Race, Socioeconomic standing, Sexual Orientation or Age.   I know that my Parents and my Maternal Nanna were extremely forward thinking and progressive Beings, way ahead of their times.  Whatever could and should be improved upon in Society they were fearless Advocates for without apology and refusing to Conform or be Denied.  I'm Proud to have similar Values, a Free Spirit and tenacity.

I didn't know how long Princess T will get for Lunch, just that she will go to Lunch at 11:00 a.m. and I gave her Money to eat at a nearby Mexican Restaurant she really likes that is in the same Parking Lot and Strip Mall that SAVERS is in.   So, I might take The Man to Lunch there around that time to see if she walks in, and so she doesn't have to eat alone if she doesn't get any Co-Worker to invite her to join them for Lunch?   She's very timid and not Socially comfortable due to having Social Anxiety.  She does know at least one Employee from High School and several of the others from just Shopping there with me to where they know us well and would make her comfortable and Welcome.  So, we'll see, she'd had a good First Day and Orientation on Friday, but it was just a few Hours and not all Day.

I want her first Employer Paid Job to go well for her, I'm pretty sure it will once she settles in.   Both Adult Kids are Home, The Son doesn't Work on Saturdays and on his Days Off can often be a pain in the Ass, a little bit of him can go a long way.  He put air in my Tires and cooked his Sister and I Breakfast, so it's not like he doesn't do something Nice, but, he tends to like to Trigger his Sister to Amuse himself and that never Ends well.  He should just leave her be and not be a Jerk and wind her up, which is easy to do when someone is a Paranoid Schizophrenic and No, it's not Funny Ha-Ha once they're Triggered and so it's foolishness and risky.   He's got his own Mental Health Issues and the Autistic Factor is part of why he doesn't Read the Room well and consider his Audience and the Social Cues of when to cease and desist or it isn't Funny except to him.

So, I've been playing Referee all Morning and that gets Old fast when the Players are in their late Thirties and early Forties, but acting like Children towards each other.   The Man can be just as complex that way with the TBI and you try not to have unrealistic expectations that their Mental Acuity is impaired and limits them behaving like Normal Healthy People.   It wasn't Helpful that I watched just a tad bit of News, and it was not good.  CNN is still out on Cable, so I may inquire with Cox as to why?   Anyway, one of the other News Channels was covering some bad Fires very near the City, it's all in the Far East Valley out near the Beautiful Superstition Mountains and where they Host the Renaissance Festival, in pristine gorgeous Natural Desert... Man-Made of coarse, they almost always are.  Communities are being Evacuated, it's not contained at all... rugged remote mostly inaccessible terrain filled with Majestic Ancient Saguaro Cacti, which due to Climate Change are suffering and dying already.

Also the Lunatic is now ranting about how he's gonna immediately round up and Deport all the Haitian LEGAL Immigrants from Springfield, Ohio who are "Eating the Cats, the Dogs, the Pets..."!   He's already been the cause now of Two consecutive Days of Bomb Threats and School Closures in that unfortunate City that he's Targeted with his Lies, Racist Accusations and Conspiracy Theories!   That Man is dangerous and getting more unhinged and unraveled daily, a bigger problem being that some hang on his every demented and intentionally divisive and Violence loving Words.   He's intent on ginning up Chaos and Violence even before the Election, so one can only surmise how much worse it can and will get if he's left unchecked or without any Guard Rails or appropriate consequences?   He's been pandered to too long already from a Criminal Law perspective making him actually accountable and with consequences not indefinitely delayed.

So, we picked Princess T up from Work and she was in Tears, the Day hadn't gone Well since she had to complete Online stuff all day and couldn't finish it in time.  They also didn't get her Schedule, which is Online, and the Person training her, tho' Nice, had disappeared when she should Clock Out, mebbe she just left for the day?  So she didn't know if she was allowed to leave or had to finish the Online stuff first?  She got permission to leave... but was too scared to tell them she hadn't had enuf time to finish the Online requirements for the Day and there wasn't anyone still there to assist her anyway.   At School her IEP always gave her additional time, the Workforce isn't like that even if someone has Disabilities.  

 So, I could tell she feels like she's not capable of doing what's expected already and doesn't want to look bad or be let go right away, it's humiliating for her.  She lashed out at me, since she hadn't called me at Noon for Pickup, so I assumed she would be there til 1:00.  She'd confused me with the verbal Scheduling she's assumed she'd have being different each day.  So, I was 15 Minutes late by the time she called at 12:15 and she was Crying when we got there and Upset.  She's Bipolar, so it went into a full blown Episode of bottoming out, Splendid, I was really Hopeful it would go more smoothly for her than School had.  School was always hard for her and intimidating, Students and Staff could be so cruel, impatient or bullying if someone had Special Needs or was different, struggling and not succeeding.  I do Hope that Employment won't be as rough for her?

You can't Protect them from everything and just Life as hard and unlevel a Playing Field as it can often be.   So, you have to try to toughen them up and prepare them for Trials they may encounter and how best to rely on their Strengths to attain Success and Contentment.   She's checking in with her Emo Goth Male Friend from School now to see if he can look in the Breakroom at the Posted Schedule and tell her when she's Scheduled next?  She thinks it's not 'til Tuesday.   I had told her to bring a little Notebook to Write down things she might have trouble retaining or remembering, but she doesn't want to look 'Stupid' and was resistant to doing that.  It would have been Helpful and better than the Dramafest that played out instead.  I think a lot of the Online stuff she just doesn't understand and is too timid and ashamed to say so.   She was saying she doesn't want anyone to label her and think she's Retarded.  *Le Sigh*

It grieves me coz I can't be there or make it easier for her, I know very few exceptions in Life are made, so, you have to just try to keep Pace and find your place in the Grand Scheme of things.   She's Smart and Capable, but she has pretty significant Learning Disabilities and she doesn't like anyone to know she does.   It's just like having been Diagnosed with any Mental Illness, once folks know, they do feel some kind of way about it.   Many often shun someone who has a condition they don't understand, fear, or have biases about, whether founded or not.   And Hearts and Minds are not so easily changed or better informed within Society once it's baked in with biases or ignorance, whatever it is.  Amber had this similar struggle with her Middle Daughter, who has extreme Social Anxiety and Panic Attacks and is in her Twenties now but hasn't been able to retain Employment.

Anyway, I'm Hoping for the Best still, there might even just be a Full Moon Cycle since both The Daughter and The Son have been having a Mental Health Day this Morning.   The Man and I left right after Breakfast to be away from the Emotional Meltdowns both Adult Kids were having, and we did some Environmental Cleanup until it was time to pick the Granddaughter up after she finally called for pickup.  She had wanted ME to initiate Contact but I don't want or like to Call or Text anyone AT Work, to me it's not Professional.  So, I'd rather they Call or Text me when they're Off Work and no longer on the Clock.   I know, I'm a Dinosaur like that and so the Young People don't understand it at all and react negatively when you're not leashed to a Phone as if it's a fucking Umbilical Chord!!!   I had Priced a Box full of Inventory for the Showroom, but, won't bring it in until my Shift Sunday Night.

I just don't wanna risk them asking me to Work Tonight to cover for anyone, I'm not in the Mood and Emotionally spent from Dealing with all the Craziness of The Asylum Residents at Forever Boheme' that spun out shortly after Noon already!!!   Fuck, I'd like to just be a Normal Retired Woman who didn't have to feel any Responsibility anymore for anyone, you know?  *LOL... it would only be Fair, but Life ain't Fair or Bras wouldn't come in Sizes*   Anyway, after she had Time to come back to Center and Calm Down from being so Emotionally Raw and Bipolar, she came in and apologized to her Grandpa and I.  She also hadn't eaten, since, she only got a Break and no Lunch and hadn't brought a Snack.  So, we took her out for Tacos so she wouldn't be Hangry too.  *LOL*  I had the Goat Taco {above pix}, they had the Beef.

Above is the Quartet of Vintage Cat Band Graphic Repops that I got from my Friend Joey.  They're double sided and tho' Reproductions, they are inspired by some 1930's Halloween Graphics.   He gave me a deep Discount, as he usually does, since, we're Friends and I have bought a lot from him over the Years, especially Real Deal Vintage Halloween when he has it.   I'm glad some Repops are being made of the Old Halloween Graphics since it's very hard to Source the Real Deal now but I just Love those Old Graphics more than the Modern ones.   If done well, I don't mind a Repop of Paper Arts Decorations for Holidays.   I do have some authentic Originals tho'.

Actual Vintage Halloween gets sparser to Source each Year except at Online Auctions, where, it commands premium prices now.   I like to trawl Online to look at what can be found, this Season I liked the above Vintage Paper Mache' Devil, he was super expensive but pretty Rare, can't say I've seen many, or any, usually they're Jack O'Lanterns or Black Cat Heads.   I have a Collection of the Paper Mache' Jack O'Lanterns from that Era and it has taken me a Lifetime to get about Nine of them.   Adding to them now is hard since they're scarce and now cost more than I'd spend for one.   If I ever do find one Cheap I would always Score it tho'.

Princess T went to Timmy's to hang out, I'm sure he can uplift her about her crappy Day at her New Job.   Her Emo Goth Friend came thru for her, he's a Quiet Young Man but has been a good Online Friend of hers for a long time, she follows his Instagram.  In many ways he's like her, Trendy and Fashionable yet Introverted and very Quiet.   He got her Schedule for her and she'll be working Tuesday thru Saturdays and have Sunday and Monday Off.  She'll be working 7:00 a.m. to either 1:00 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. daily, not bad hours and I can work around that with my own schedule without conflicts.   She was relieved when she knew more about what's expected of her for the next Week.   She tends to over react and spiral Emotionally quite easily, then bounce back quickly.  So, she's Fine now... for now.  *LOL and Winks*  

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Each Day is a New Adventure my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian