I am Bettering Lives

12^th June 2020

Dear (Social Service Provider),

Over the past year and a half I’ve been sent to a number of worksites ranging from truck lots to homeless shelters, and that’s where I ran into your company. I have always taken great pride in working with the homeless population, and many of my clients say they feel safer working with me than with other members of my team.

In the last week I have been complimented on keeping calm, and conducting myself with consistency and care. It isn’t always easy to keep your cool when you’re dealing with a mental health issue, but I always tell myself that adding anger to the situation will only make it worse. As a result, I’m often called to deal with difficult residents. 

However, in the cores of my employment the company feels I am more valuable to them working with large trucks rather than with our homeless population. To me, this work is just not as satisfying. 

When I work with the homeless I’m often told how I am bettering lives. My residents tell me how I help them get sober or find what they need to get a job. When I work with trucks they tell me I keep the yard in good order. It’s just not the same.

Now, I know I’m applying for a temporary position. My work in security will always be there for me when I’m finished, and if I miss my sixty hour work weeks I’m sure they will be willing to throw me a shift from time to time.

Don’t get me wrong, I like what I do, I just feel I can do something with more meaning.

 

Best,

Richard Leland Neal

 

Hospital Food

12^th June 2012

Dear Cassi,

One of the points I failed to bring up about my trip to the hospital was that I had three hours to kill between appointments and as long as it feels like I spent in the pharmacy it just wasn’t that long. So, my doctor mentioned that there was a cafeteria on the same floor as her office and as I had not eaten it decided to take my laptop out and spend some time there. I walked in to see what reminded me of a high school cafeteria with the registers well out of site.

       

I walked around for a few seconds wondering where the plates and trays were until I saw that small stacks of disposables sat around the place. The trays were cleverly hidden behind the door so it took me a minute to find them.

       

There was a small selection of reheated food and baked goods. I grabbed a cinnamon role and what looked like a long photograph of pizza. It was the thinnest pizza I have ever had and it had the consistency of beef jerky.

The next disappointment came when I found that they only had diet soft drinks. They really are no better for you then their calorie ridden cousins. Some would even say they are worse, but whatever they are their chemical foulness has never passed with me.

Turtle Nose, if you recall, had a thing for diet soda and so in supplementing he was always eating ice cream. It turns out that diet sweeteners make you want sweet even more and drive your wait up. A diet high in diet sweeteners is often one high in sugar because of the craving. That and they make me ill.

I sat eating what was food only in name and hammering on keys working of a report for school. The place was empty, can’t imagine why.

Eat natural, little sister,

Richard Leland Neal