The new year has started out fantastic with me. I have kept all my new years resolutions, mainly because I did not make any. I find New Years to be dramatic and over rated. I have no problem staying at home and getting an early night to bed (I'm so old).
Aside from this, I started a new position at work. For those of you who do not know, I work at The Salvation Army Centre of Hope (not a thrift store... I don't even get a staff discount). The centre of hope is a homeless shelter. I have been working there for about 5 years. Before I started my fab position I had a love hate relationship with the place. Okay, so the love hate thing is still there but I get more money.
So, my new position is called Major.. kidding. I'm not a part of the Army at all, just a worker there. I am a Resource Counselor. Essentially resourcefully counsel people who live at the shelter. I refer them to external agencies and internal programs. Being a Resource Counselor is a fun job but it is such a busy one. Today was the first day that I actually left on time and I still did not finish what needed to be done. Ugh. Tomorrow is a new day.
At the shelter we have free beds and rental rooms. My boss wanted myself and my colleague to check on all the rental rooms (approx. 75-80 may be just a bit less; may be more). She wanted to make sure that people were following the policy and rules (no smoking; no perishable food; no fire hazards; no drugs/alcohol; etc). Last Thursday we undertook this task and set out on our huge job. We got about half way done when we opened the door and the first thing we noticed was a space heater (huge fire hazard). Almost simultaneously the smell hit me and my head turned to another part of the room and there he was. The man renting the room was dead on his bed. We were both in shock and ran to my colleague's office and called security and they came up and called EMS (911) and they took care of it.
I have to say it was one of the most shocking things I have ever seen. I will not describe the scene but let me just say I will never wish that upon anyone. The client we found, a man whom I had been dealing with for a little bit, was completely unrecognisable. Not because of how he died (it may have been natural but it could have been suidice; we don't know) it was because of how much 'weight' it looked like he had gained (his body bloated alot). So anyway... it was not pleasant. I was in a bit of a shock and it takes much to shock me.
The closest I have come to finding a dead person prior to this was when my roommates ex boyfriend tried to commit suicide and I found him in time to call 911.
My reason for telling this story is simply to get it out of my head. It is like a debriefing of sorts. Oddly it has not caused me to think of my own mortality but rather you never know just what is going on in another's mind. Prior to finding him I had thought to myself that I had not seen this person in a few days (he saw me in my office quite a bit: almost daily basis) but I never went to check his room.... you just never know. My advice: if you have an impression about someone act on it. Do not wait. There is a reason for the impression in your mind.
