Reasons why I love my job

It's 6:15 a.m. I have been up and at work since 12:30 a.m. And no, this is not a reason why I love my job, this is just an intro. Relax.

One reason that I DO like being here at the absolute crack of dawn, is because I am sitting at the computer in North boulder, that faces directly east. I get to see the most amazing sunrise come up over the frighteningly flat Kansas. I finally remembered my camera, so check THIS out...








People here make me laugh, and I love to laugh, therefore, I love my job. Becky and I were doing a round through the men's emergency dorm, where all you can see is and endless row of bunks, and tops of heads floating in and out of them. One of the residents made the not so unusual comment of "Why do you guys work here anyway?" And before we could both respond with the usual "because I want to" we were interrupted by a squirrelly voice rising from a floating head somewhere that said, "Because you all wanna be capitalist pigs just like everyone else." This voice belongs to a man named Art, and if you knew who Art was, this would be even more comical. He is a small, scruffy old man with the voice of a cartoon character. Becky and I both quickly made our exit and burst into laughter. It's not everyday anyone can just yell that out from behind a row of disheveled bunk beds, and it be o.k.

I got another chuckle yesterday when I came across a flyer that one of the residents must have posted. Scott is trying to produce a newsletter about homelessness, and was asking for any of the residents to submit poetry, essays or any kind of art work to it. When he is describing what its all about in the flyer, the word "homelessness" was scribbled on each time it was used. The "less" was crossed out and "free" was scribbled in above it. Homefreeness. haha. I love it.

Then of course, a Colby story. He tells me yesterday that he is all excited because he is going to visit his daughter and granddaughter in Denver. So this morning, he gets up super early, gets his coffee and tells me he has to clean up and get some new clothes on. An hour or so later, Colby reappears in front of me looking sharp. He asks, "does my hair look o.k.? I combed it over, see? Do I look cleaned up?" And, in fact, he did. So he is someone's grandpa, and he is not lost. I am starting to wonder if he removed himself on purpose, if it is his choice or his daughters choice that he live on the streets of Boulder, when they are only 40 minutes away. The more I know, the less I understand.

One of my other favorite moments, was when Becky came bursting into the kitchen laughing hysterically. She explained to me that Cliff has just asked her to move a paper clip that was lying on the ground. When she went to pick it up, he said "no, no...with your mind." Cliff wanted her to help him levitate the paper clip off of the floor. She declined. Then we laughed, because again, not your every day job assignment.

There is a crow the size of a cat outside the door right now. Maybe I'm becoming delusional. It's quite possible. Two donuts, two teas, and one coffee later, I think I have resigned control of my mind to outside forces.

What does that sentence even mean... I'm done.