So I says to myself, I says, You're a Christian, ya gotta serve. That's the term they use in shorthand to mean serving in God's name. At least I think it does. So I reached out to City Impact asking about volunteering, and specifying that I work(ed) in HR and had familiarity with computer programs. Homegirl said she would get back to me, and a week later, I sent her a follow up, offering even to be a part of their Adopt a Building program. She apologized, saying the person who coordinates admin tasks was out of town, but invited me to show up at their next Adopt a Building event.
I was on the fence about it since A) I'm always hesitant to try new things and be around new people and B) it was on a Sunday from 2:00 to 5:00, which is prime nap time for me. But I rallied, and made my way down to the Tenderloin around 1:30 today.
At first, I couldn't find the place since they've got an adjunct building with the same name of the actual address, but a different number. So I called the coordinator, left a message, and was headed back home when I found the place.
I was greeted with the fresh smell of pee (which was fairly omnipresent the whole time) as I walked to the door, headed inside, and was greeted by a smiling older woman who gave me a name tag and ushered me into a small auditorium.
There was no more than 50 people present, and the head dude was giving some sort of intro as I walked in. He wrapped up, and handed the floor over to a millennial who kept saying "the crazy thing is," which quite irked me. I was also under the impression that this was a non-denominational type of gig, which was swiftly corrected by virtue of the large cross on stage. Further, after the millennial wrapped up, the first older dude returned to the stage and started telling this tale of a homophobic guy who, "through God's great humor," had been coupled with a group of trannies to assist, and as the trannies kept coming back to church, slowly but steadily, they shed their finery for fucking sweatpants. And then they all went out to the mountains for a hike, so "they were able to leave that lifestyle."
Seriously, that's the story the dude told. And "lifestyle" is almost always code for "gay lifestyle" and therefore bad bad bad, but I just kind of rolled my eyes internally, and waited for the next steps.
I was grouped with another newbie named Chad who was washed out and freckly, and had the personality of a pumice stone; and two other more tenured folks, Conchita and Chuck. Conchita seemed intent on telling stories of God's providence throughout the day both to us and to our wards for the day, most all of whom were surprisingly pleasant (I guess you would be if you're getting free food). I couldn't follow all of her ramblings, and did tire from standing a time or two while also avoiding the persistent fruit flies who must have fucking followed me from home.
I have to say here, too, that church people are notoriously humorless. I've encountered this in the two small groups in which I've been at Epic, and this lot was no exception. Like, Conchita's name tag read "Empress," which I thought was a cheeky nickname she'd given herself to suggest a haughty demeanor, but it was, in fact, the name of the building we were serving. So I didn't even bother trying to make a joke out of it because she would have just stared at me blankly, I'm sure.
Before we left, Conchita had endeared one of the tenants to come to the church, so he joined as as we headed back. One block in, he asked just how far it was because he had COPD, so as we stood there, boxes in hand, decently dressed people in the Tenderloin, of course Pumice Stone and I are approached by a transient who asks us for money and then tells us of some apartment building his dad left to him that he's trying to get back. I don't give him any money since I didn't know what City Impact's policy is on that, but did stay and help interest in his story. Pumice Stone noticed our peeps heading back to the hotel, and said something like, "Sorry, sir, we have to go," and walks away. I tell the guy sorry and God bless, and he says something about Pumice Stone being evil.
In any event, we regroup back at City Impact and give our final thoughts. I say it felt satisfying and easier than expected, and ask for some of their fliers, with plans to hand them out along with dollar bills to people who ask. We say our final prayers, and I trek up the mighty hill of Jones St. back home.
The reason I did this was to challenge myself, and I succeeded on that front. Not sure I will go again next week. Hopefully they'll come up with some admin work I can do sitting in a nice, comfy office, but we're gonna be a good little Christian and leave it up to God.
Sunday, August 11, 2019
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Malfunction. Stop. Restart.
Ah, non-existent online friends!
When last I left you, I had been feeling quite under the weather, and had gone to the doctor's. Looking back at my last entry, I had forgotten all about this step I'd taken because not but a few weeks after that adventure, my friends, Roze and Lea, having not heard from me or seen any evidence of me online, had mounted a search and rescue campaign that involved the police knocking down my door and taking me, blissfully unconscious and near death, to the hospital. I was first taken to St Mary's because it's near my house, and then transported to UC.
They identified a major infection that had attacked my heart and brain, so a valve replacement and two cranial surgeries later, I was deposited into my own hospital bed, and the recovery began. It took awhile for my brain to come back online, and I remember trying to explain something about work to Lea and Mia when they came to visit me in the hospital, and it was quite off course.
A call had been made to my poor mom in the middle of the night, and with the help of her cousin, she booked the next flight to SF. In my state of ignorant euphoria, I'd just decided that all answers would come later, and I would enjoy the ride for now.
Another two back to back surgeries were done, and then I was shipped off to ghetto rehab in Vallejo. The tragedy of this whole experience was that I had no contact lenses in the whole time, so I was seeing some weird, but interesting stuff while in the hospital, and creating some pretty vivid and frightening tales in my mind about what was going on.
Back at rehab, I did not know the rules or hadn't paid attention when they were explained to me, but I got in trouble several times for getting up out of my bed on my own. It was also a mildly useless endeavor as I couldn't see properly, so the speech therapy was mostly for nought, even when I pressed my nose as close to the piece of paper with the little drawings and words on it. I was desperate to escape, but my stay coincided with Thanksgiving, so that stretched it out to a full week, even though I asked to be released earlier.
When the time came and I was picked up by my mom and Aunt Sandra, we drove back to SF, and I wasn't home for even a week before the pain started up in my leg. It was then back to the hospital for another surgery to correct the blood flow in my leg. Followed two months later by eye surgery to remove lesions behind my eye. Followed then by a trip to the ER to fast-track connecting with Neurology to address the nerve death sensation in my extremities. I've also been back to UC for two IVMF infusion treatments to relax the milon in the nerves so feeling will return, and am due to return next week.
It has been a very slow, but steady recovery process, but I lost a ton of weight while ill, so it's like I got free liposuction. And I'm coasting on disability, and will be pursuing permanent disability through my employer, so will most likely not have to work ever again. I've reached out to City Impact to offer to volunteer, and am just waiting to hear back from them. And I'm due to get some retro Social Security payment in several months.
I got baptized shortly before this all went down, and can't help but think that, yes, Jesus had a role in bringing me down low and then lifting me to these current heights. I've been rebooted, and am so grateful.
When last I left you, I had been feeling quite under the weather, and had gone to the doctor's. Looking back at my last entry, I had forgotten all about this step I'd taken because not but a few weeks after that adventure, my friends, Roze and Lea, having not heard from me or seen any evidence of me online, had mounted a search and rescue campaign that involved the police knocking down my door and taking me, blissfully unconscious and near death, to the hospital. I was first taken to St Mary's because it's near my house, and then transported to UC.
They identified a major infection that had attacked my heart and brain, so a valve replacement and two cranial surgeries later, I was deposited into my own hospital bed, and the recovery began. It took awhile for my brain to come back online, and I remember trying to explain something about work to Lea and Mia when they came to visit me in the hospital, and it was quite off course.
A call had been made to my poor mom in the middle of the night, and with the help of her cousin, she booked the next flight to SF. In my state of ignorant euphoria, I'd just decided that all answers would come later, and I would enjoy the ride for now.
Another two back to back surgeries were done, and then I was shipped off to ghetto rehab in Vallejo. The tragedy of this whole experience was that I had no contact lenses in the whole time, so I was seeing some weird, but interesting stuff while in the hospital, and creating some pretty vivid and frightening tales in my mind about what was going on.
Back at rehab, I did not know the rules or hadn't paid attention when they were explained to me, but I got in trouble several times for getting up out of my bed on my own. It was also a mildly useless endeavor as I couldn't see properly, so the speech therapy was mostly for nought, even when I pressed my nose as close to the piece of paper with the little drawings and words on it. I was desperate to escape, but my stay coincided with Thanksgiving, so that stretched it out to a full week, even though I asked to be released earlier.
When the time came and I was picked up by my mom and Aunt Sandra, we drove back to SF, and I wasn't home for even a week before the pain started up in my leg. It was then back to the hospital for another surgery to correct the blood flow in my leg. Followed two months later by eye surgery to remove lesions behind my eye. Followed then by a trip to the ER to fast-track connecting with Neurology to address the nerve death sensation in my extremities. I've also been back to UC for two IVMF infusion treatments to relax the milon in the nerves so feeling will return, and am due to return next week.
It has been a very slow, but steady recovery process, but I lost a ton of weight while ill, so it's like I got free liposuction. And I'm coasting on disability, and will be pursuing permanent disability through my employer, so will most likely not have to work ever again. I've reached out to City Impact to offer to volunteer, and am just waiting to hear back from them. And I'm due to get some retro Social Security payment in several months.
I got baptized shortly before this all went down, and can't help but think that, yes, Jesus had a role in bringing me down low and then lifting me to these current heights. I've been rebooted, and am so grateful.
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