on the job or i have occupational daydreams!

Good Morning,

I want you to think back to when you were a child and then to write down any careers or jobs that you've ever thought about doing…don’t worry about skills or abilities just write down anything that's ever sounded interesting to you.

I give these instructions when administering tests to people at my job.

(I’m sometimes bored. My Buddha teacher Gil says this is okay…I’m supposed to breathe and investigate the boredom…

I don’t think he’s ever administered tests or been this bored).

I work for a small company that helps people with disabilities find employment.

Last week here’s what one young woman wrote down in her booklet to the above prompt.

"Occupational Daydreams"

There is pencil coloring in the white spaces of the
big block letters…

Wal-Mart
Meijer
K-Mart
Policeman
Fire apartment (an arsonist?...Is she setting fires to the apartment?)

I do intakes and assessments with new clients. Mom had come to the intake interview with this young woman that day and provided the following information

Current employment? Sitting around lazy at home

(okay, thank you. we ‘ll have to work that into the resume)

as you can see we disabled people tend to have more leisure in our day so…it’s also important to ask about

Leisure activity:

Spare time: read, coloring
Television: cartoons, racing-NASCAR
Reading: Romance novels

Yes, this is how I spend my time too. : )

We disabled people are not a homogeneous group we are:

(i.e., other unaltered responses to "Occupational Daydreams")

pilote (flying planes)
hemptologist ...and there’s probably even a
herpetoligist or two

…hemp and herpes the Adam & Eve of all good minority groups

I have a favorite word on the reading test. I hand them a laminated card with a list of words on it and ask that they read it back to me slowly. My favorite word is “assuage”

I sit readied at the edge of my seat as one time a surly young man read it back “ass usage.”

It’s not all about me. There are also assessments they have to fill out at home and bring back. I find something called the Work Assessment Survey in the client’s folder when I go to write up the report. Here are some of the hidden gems that have lightened up my day.

(writing reports is REALLY boring. my Buddha teacher Gil says this is okay too…I’m still supposed to breathe and investigate the boredom…

I don’t think he’s ever written reports...)

Disability of record/primary diagnosis?

Fibromyalgia effects my muscles and leguments.

i'm pretty sure legumes are beans, makes me think of a new structure to our anatomy.

What caused your disability?

Birth (in very dark leaded pencil)

If I had awards to give, this would be my favorite a small fellow in a wheelchair…asked to check any essential job functions that might be a problem for him. There’s a list of abilities e.g., standing all day, using both legs, walking for 8 hours...

The only item he marked was…lifting over 100lbs.

I believe him!

okay,

Happy Monday.

Amanda
awaiting the rewards of new employment $$$...my first L.L. Bean tankini!

*COMPLETELY kidding. i just like saying "tankini"