"Their Life, Our Work" - anonymous

[echo off]

someone shared this with me a while ago via facebook. it's awesome, touches me everytime i read it. they got it from a wall in a community home they worked at. i thought you guys might like it too


"Their Life, Our Work"

I’m a client at an intake meeting,
You move house
I’m a resident, you reside
I’m aggressive, you’re assertive
I have challenging behaviour, you’re rude
I’m non compliant, you don’t like being told what to do
When I ask someone out for dinner, it’s an outing
When you ask someone out it’s a date
I don’t know how many people have read the progress notes about me, I don’t even know what is in there
You didn’t speak to your best friend for a month after they read your diary
I made mistakes during my money management program and withdrew $50 instead of $15. I had to put the rest back
You forgot some direct debits from your account, transferred $200 to cover them and took out the same for spending
I wanted to talk with the nice looking person behind us in the grocery store.
I was told it was inappropriate to talk with strangers
You met your spouse in the produce department; they couldn’t find the bean sprouts
I celebrated my birthday with five other residents and two staff members
I hope my family sends a card
Your family threw you a surprise party. It sounded wonderful
My case manager sends a report every month to my guardian
It says everything I did wrong and some things I did right
You’re still mad with your sister for calling your mum after you had that speeding fine
I am on a special diet because I’m 10 kilos over my ideal body weight
Your doctor gave up telling you
I am learning household skills. You hate house work and pay a cleaner
I am learning leisure skills. Your t-shirt says you’re a couch potato
After I do my budget program tonight, I might go to McDonalds, if I have enough money and if I’m allowed
You went to the new French restaurant and paid with your Amex card.
My caseworker, psychologist, occupational therapist, nutritionist, vocational trainer and house staff set goals for me for the next year
You haven’t decided what you want to do with your life
Someday I won’t be a consumer of a special service – maybe
You will move onward and upward
I’m a client, you’re a person

- Anonymous
(Westcott, 2003: X)

(i did a quick google search, that's the only credit i can find)

 

[herbavore]

I love it. I was a psychiatric patient as a teenager (now they call them Clients, not patients) and I remember how suddenly everything I did and everything I said, thought, dreamed, was seen through this new filter. Taught me a lot about not doing that to others.