I just realized that I have not posted an entry in nearly a month and am quite embarrassed considering my vow approximately one month ago to post at least one entry every other day. Apologies to anyone who actually gives a rat's behind, but I have been swamped with many unfunny events recently.
While going to check on a client the other day I was held up on the highway by what I thought was a car accident. As it turns out, it was the suicide of a woman who had decided that the best way to depart this life was to jump from a very high overpass onto the middle of that highway. What's worse, is that she apparently did not pick a high enough departure point, because she did not die right away but rather several hours later, according to the evening news.
This brush with suicide made me very sad, and I realized that it is likely because I am no longer desensitized to this type of action. In a previous job I dealth with clients who attempted to take their own lives on a daily basis. Cutting, hanging, ingesting, you name it-they did it and I dealt with it every day. I learned to get used to the fact that I was trying to help people that not only didn't want help, but didn't want to even supply their brains with the oxygen needed to develop the desire. Somehow, I learned to work in this environment but having now been removed from it for a while it was a mild shock to my system to be reminded that people still think this way.
That made me wonder about the situations I deal with right now and how I might be desensitized to them. Have I become complacent about not having water or electricity? Have I gotten used to the fact that some people would rather have their meth than their children safe? I like to think not, but it is worth contemplating, and important for all of us in this insane field to think about in order to avoid that possible complacency turning into apathy and acceptance. It would be pretty difficult (although interesting) to be an apathetic agent of change.
I haven't been able to locate the amusing aspects lately in any of my work related experiences, or at least enough of the amusing to make an entire blog entry. I promise I will try harder. Perhaps I will go hang out with the attorneys for a while. I hear that they don't do anything but joke all day.
