Everyday people
CSI on a Tuesday night.
Waking up to the sound of two women talking.
Soft pillows.
Running late for the bus.
Again.
Work was busy today.
Caught the train home. But before that, I stayed back to organize my desk. But one of the telemarketers on the late night shift brought her five-month old baby along. She said her husband needed to work late so she had no choice but to bring the baby to work. Instead of doing my paperwork, I ended up babysitting for a few. Funny how babies are all the more adorable if they’re not yours. It must be tough taking care of someone 24-7. There I was getting appreciation from my colleagues for being good with Jason* when the real hero is his mom. I was brilliant with J for twenty minutes but she’s got to be brilliant for him for the rest of his life.
Had to help a colleague improve her ‘performance’. Turns out she’s got a lot of personal problems weighing on her heart and on her mind. I told her that’s the issue. Until she resolves those, nothing I do can help her. She’s very pleased with the fact that someone listened to her though.
She said she needs a mentor. She’s 72. She’s desperately clinging to her job because she doesn’t think she can get a new one if she loses this one. But the desperation shows in her voice and it just aggravates the situation. I pray that when I get to her age, I will work because I want to not because I have to.
The man that people avoid
On the train platform I saw a midget Aborigine ask for one of the Rail Staff. He looked really scruffy and smelt of alcohol. He was lugging around his bicycle and clutching a very worn-out helmet. Anyway, the Rail Staff ignored him and people walking past him kept a safe distance.
He said: That’s right. Ignore me because I’m old and I’m a pensioner.
To the crowd he said: Yes, I’ve become the person that other people try to avoid.
Turned out the Rail Staff gave him the wrong information and he ended up waiting on the wrong platform. But instead of apologizing, the same Railway staff member just looked at him in disdain and walked away. That made me furious. If this was the movies, I would have marched up to the same person and berate her for disrespecting a commuter just because he looked odd. But I didn’t. I knew it’s futile to do so. Instead I started talking to the guy.
I think everyone’s weird in one way or another. My weirdness is that I like chatting with homeless people, vagrants, bag ladies and hobos. I’m curious as to how did they get there. Surely they have family or friends or a ‘normal’ life before what they’ve become.
So I found out that this guy is 60 and relies on the government pension for money. He had a work-related accident back in 1966 which rendered him slightly ‘lacking’ in the head department. As part of his worker’s compensation, he was given a job at, ironically, the Rail. His job was to coordinate the passage of steam trains and electric trains running on the same railway line. He said it was a good job. For seven years. Then he got bored. He asked for a transfer but was removed from the job and never got another one since. He reckons it’s because he’s short (he’s about four-feet tall), an Aborigine and disabled ‘here’ (points to his head).
I am the only scientist in my family. Three thousand years and I’m the only scientist. And what happens? An accident that stuffs me up here (pointing to his head).
I was very sympathetic and just nodded my head at the tragedy. He took a swig from his water/alcohol bottle. Then a young well-endowed teenager with a big butt walked by. He checked her out and said: Well take a look at that.
Back to square one.
Waking up to the sound of two women talking.
Soft pillows.
Running late for the bus.
Again.
Work was busy today.
Caught the train home. But before that, I stayed back to organize my desk. But one of the telemarketers on the late night shift brought her five-month old baby along. She said her husband needed to work late so she had no choice but to bring the baby to work. Instead of doing my paperwork, I ended up babysitting for a few. Funny how babies are all the more adorable if they’re not yours. It must be tough taking care of someone 24-7. There I was getting appreciation from my colleagues for being good with Jason* when the real hero is his mom. I was brilliant with J for twenty minutes but she’s got to be brilliant for him for the rest of his life.
Had to help a colleague improve her ‘performance’. Turns out she’s got a lot of personal problems weighing on her heart and on her mind. I told her that’s the issue. Until she resolves those, nothing I do can help her. She’s very pleased with the fact that someone listened to her though.
She said she needs a mentor. She’s 72. She’s desperately clinging to her job because she doesn’t think she can get a new one if she loses this one. But the desperation shows in her voice and it just aggravates the situation. I pray that when I get to her age, I will work because I want to not because I have to.
The man that people avoid
On the train platform I saw a midget Aborigine ask for one of the Rail Staff. He looked really scruffy and smelt of alcohol. He was lugging around his bicycle and clutching a very worn-out helmet. Anyway, the Rail Staff ignored him and people walking past him kept a safe distance.
He said: That’s right. Ignore me because I’m old and I’m a pensioner.
To the crowd he said: Yes, I’ve become the person that other people try to avoid.
Turned out the Rail Staff gave him the wrong information and he ended up waiting on the wrong platform. But instead of apologizing, the same Railway staff member just looked at him in disdain and walked away. That made me furious. If this was the movies, I would have marched up to the same person and berate her for disrespecting a commuter just because he looked odd. But I didn’t. I knew it’s futile to do so. Instead I started talking to the guy.
I think everyone’s weird in one way or another. My weirdness is that I like chatting with homeless people, vagrants, bag ladies and hobos. I’m curious as to how did they get there. Surely they have family or friends or a ‘normal’ life before what they’ve become.
So I found out that this guy is 60 and relies on the government pension for money. He had a work-related accident back in 1966 which rendered him slightly ‘lacking’ in the head department. As part of his worker’s compensation, he was given a job at, ironically, the Rail. His job was to coordinate the passage of steam trains and electric trains running on the same railway line. He said it was a good job. For seven years. Then he got bored. He asked for a transfer but was removed from the job and never got another one since. He reckons it’s because he’s short (he’s about four-feet tall), an Aborigine and disabled ‘here’ (points to his head).
I am the only scientist in my family. Three thousand years and I’m the only scientist. And what happens? An accident that stuffs me up here (pointing to his head).
I was very sympathetic and just nodded my head at the tragedy. He took a swig from his water/alcohol bottle. Then a young well-endowed teenager with a big butt walked by. He checked her out and said: Well take a look at that.
Back to square one.