Random Things

For the last year or so Facebook has offered a cool new feature called "Memories" where you can look back on what you posted on that particular date. As one who journals, I love being able to look back at a point in time, remember what was going on, and revisit that moment or season a bit.  A few days ago I looked in on a Memory that included the (at-the-time-so -popular) "25 Random Things" quiz that was going around. It caused me to think...

So I decided to be lighthearted today...it's FAT Tuesday, the day before Lent and my season of self-reflection and self-denial=heavy and hard and challenging...so I decided I'd do a post about "Random Things About My 19 Year Career at CH" and give you, dear readers (few as you are!) a glimpse...Enjoy!

1. I have been present for only 3 live birth experiences in my life and they have all been Covenant House young ladies.

2. To protect the confidentiality of our kids, I've assigned "nicknames" to kids over the years=Lovely, Runaway Bunny, Beloved, Buddy, Babycakes...

3. I've been on 2 all expenses paid trip on CH's $--one to San Antonio in 2001 (pre-911) to get certified as an Abstinence Instructor (yes, really!) and one in 2008 to San Diego to a fund raising conference.

4. I've had 9 title changes within my 19 years.

5. In my first or second year, I was invited to go to the Atlantic City High School senior prom by one of our residents. I did NOT attend, but the young man gave me the take-a-way glass as a souvenir. A few year ago I was thinking about this kid as I was driving back from an event on Sept.11 because I recalled that he had allegedly gone up to NYC and had helped with recovery efforts. That same day I stopped at Wawa and heard, "JEN!?" and it was that same kid!? I guess I'd willed him into existence since he lived no where near our area and was only visiting for the day. How random!

6. I didn't know what thongs or G-strings were until I worked at CH. I was packing up the belongings of a resident, opened a drawer, and started to pull out all these stringy things. I asked another girl in the room, "What is this?" and she said it was underwear. She laughed at my facial expression.

7. We had Mass on Wednesdays at the site when I first started. I didn't attend for many weeks because I wasn't Catholic...but then I did, just to do something sacred with staff and the kids=no regrets.

8. I always wore a certain Calgon spray (Morning Glory) on all jail and prison visits. The kids used to tell me they knew I was there because they could smell me before they saw me.

 

9. I encountered my first heroin addict going through withdrawal one really hot Saturday my first or second year. He was sitting alongside an abandoned building and I sat talking to him as he sweat buckets and tried not to get sick in front of me. I remember thinking that he should have smelled bad with all his sweating but he smelled really sweet. I later confirmed with a drug counselor that sometimes when heroin addicts detox they can give off a sweet smell (poppies?) which I found consistent over the years when encountering heroin addicts. They smell (to me) like warm laundry.

10. I sat with 4 kids today who really don't know me too well. I was gathering stories for a video for an upcoming event and as I spoke with them and said they could or could not share what they wished, their stories of heartbreak and shame came pouring out, even to the point of tears. that says to me that even me--the blond lady that shows up to take pictures and give tours--can connect with the deepest part of our kids and connect...it was humbling but a good reminder of why I do the work that I do.

Can I come up with 15 more things??? Probably if I reach hard enough...perhaps for another day.