Ginger, I'm so sorry to hear of the suck and hope, as has been said several times, that a champion steps forward.

Sean, I've had one terrible roommate and am so grateful I no longer do. I hope your luck changes!

I'm on the horns of a dilemma post-election, and I could use some...I dunno, reality checking?

A phone call will surely come tomorrow from the Board of Elections, asking for my comments on staffing. I am not sure what to say about two staff members.

One poll working was accused, by another worker, of being 'high' all day. He was a bit erratic, did not smell of anything I could discern and was great about just doing what needed doing without needing my guidance.

He was accused of perhaps 'smoking crack'. I hate to sound totally podunk, but does smoked crack smell of anything? I would assume that crack or meth would have a chemical residue.

The other worker is developmentally disabled. It was obvious going in, so I gave her the best job I could but still ended up getting 5 irate comments on the day and 2 subsequent, irate comments in the neighborhood.

What can I say?

It feels like we live in a culture...in this neighborhood...where everyone wants life to be totally bump-free and where eccentricity is tolerated but diminished capacity is not.

I don't want to say that the Board of Elections should not hire her. She did the best she could and, seriously, no blood was let. She stamped her feet and was loud, but immediately calmed down when asked to. I imagine she has been through a coping training, based on her reactions to everything.

At the same time, on an incredibly stressful day, I don't really have time to deal with people being hysterical over someone whose worst crime is being different from them in a way that is apparently socially acceptable to rage over.

I truly don't know what to tell the Board.

What would you do?

Tell them that?

I suppose. But I also feel strongly about not shunting things off on others that I wouldn't handle myself...and I'm afraid they will ding her if I don't take her.

Then again, I suppose I could recommend that she go to a less busy precinct.

In other, OMG, I have to do something that isn't about me news...someone I know casually from the neighborhood just posted a photo of her winnings at a casino on facebook.

I won't even say how much, but that it was a stack of $100 bundles. On facebook. With a tagged location and a comment about being good at black jack.

Are you KIDDING me?

Her page is not protected. Anyone can see her photos.

Holy mother of common sense, what are people thinking?

I called a friend of hers, since I don't know her all that well, and he offered to text her with my advice to take the photo down. He did say it isn't our place, but honestly? I'd rather be thought of as a horrible busy body than to hear something about her being hit over the head in a parking lot.

I think I better go focus on laundry or something. Sheesh.

Ginger, I am sorry to hear that you have to deal with so much at once. I truly hope you find someone competent with solutions to deal with the insurance issues.

Bonny, on the poll situation, it is your responsibility to be honest in your appraisals. The person may or may not be suited for busy elections with a high volume of people. It may take some reflection to be objective. I've also seen people accused of being 'high' just because of how they looked. Tough call in each case.

I think I would have to say something to the person flashing cash on the internet. Some people are just not social media savvy. Not quite as naive as getting excited about the Nigerian prince who wants to send you cash, but really not a good move to invite possible harm that way.

Pasta:

Sean, I hope the next roommate is the right one. My experience has been that most people are not jerks so the odds are in your favor having gone through 2 rotten ones.

I spent a few hours today sorting through the medical bills and EOBs from my hospital stay and follow ups and putting it all in a spreadsheet. Good grief. I guess I'll try and make actual sense of it this week. It is like there are always so many 'pending' items I can't close out anything. The hospital bill was 23K something and they settled with the insurance company for 4K something. Now that is cool and all, but does that mean if I didn't have insurance or if I went to a hospital that didn't have a contract with Aetna that I would have owed them 23K. Probably. The whole system is a mess.

Thanks, Laura.

I think the poll worker situation is pinging a larger concern of mine about what is happening in a culture with growing numbers of mainstreamed differences and rapidly increasing numbers of folks with autism (which is not this lady's situation).

More tolerance is required where less seems available every day!

One recommendation is to have a helper stay with this lady to help keep her calm. I know the BOE can't do this because they frankly just don't have enough workers/volunteers for the jobs required.

Though, I suppose it would be better for them to recommend that than me doing it.

Yeah, I'm super fearful for this young woman on facebook. That kind of money inspires initiative and determination on even a casual criminal's part. Goodness knows, I wouldn't even trust people I KNOW to control themselves in the face of such temptation. Just. not. smart.

The problem with tolerance and mainstreaming, though, is that jobs need to be done to a particular standard by a particular deadline. Even the standardly-bodied aren't qualified for all positions.

Totally agreed, and I did move people around to their optimal effect.

Sadly, most of the complaints were, "She yelled at me, how dare she!" It was 100% obvious visually, verbally and physically that she is different. Who cares that she speaks loudly in the 20 seconds total you spent in her presence?

I guess it worries me that something so inconsequential (she was not counting ballots or anything...she was telling people to put their ballots in the scanner and handing out "I voted" stickers) It just bothers me that people was so BOTHERED when they could have shaken it off.

Are we having more of these experiences in general, or am I being over sensitive?

I don't think you're overly sensitive, bonny, you're just aware, and it bothers you. Most people would *tsk* and forget about it, and not think twice about what it means for the culture at large.

But you know, there will always be people who think they should be treated like the most noble and delicate of princesses. More and more, people from that most privileged demographic are gonna hafta get used to interacting with people who are not like them, and most people will figure out how not to be an ass, and some people will continue to be precious princesses regardless of how much they hear about that "tolerance" business.

I'd say, just focus on how well the person was able to do the job she was given, and how well she handled the difficulties that arose. If she did well enough, then great; if not, then recommend whatever you think is best for her and for the job. Forget about what the princesses think; they are not important except as being one of the difficulties the job includes. Every job includes dealing with difficult people. Did she handle those situations well, or not? How much help did she need, and do you have resources to provide that help? That's all.

Zen, you've helped me to make a decision. I don't like my decision, but it is the one that I think is best for this woman and for myself.

I DO worry about the culture at large...I really do. I sometimes remind myself of Andi McDowell at the beginning of Sex, Lies and Videotape. "I worry about the trash."

I don't know if I will ever stop doing so. And I will continue to do whatever I can to champion what I think is right.

Having said that, I can only do so on a one-on-one basis.

The one person, beside myself, that I can influence is this worker. I will ask the Board to choose a quieter precinct for her. I think she deserves to work if she wants to. I don't know that boredom will be any better for her than being abused by entitled folks, but it WILL make it easier on me.

No guarantee that I'll replace this situation something better, but like the woman on facebook, I just feel that I am irresponsible if I don't say something.