2/24/2006
Casualties of Fenris*
It's said you should never bite the hand that feeds you, but sadly, in my 43 years on this Earth, I've seen it happen time and time again. And it's never failed to perplex me.
GIHN, like all organizations, I guess has its share of ingrates who, having finally recieved the help they sought for so long, then turned around and did something so clearly against the rules that it makes you wonder why the staff and its network of volunteers haven't yet lost their sense of dedication.
Thankfully, the number of former clients of a criminal or antisocial bent seems to be small, but the bad ones seemed to be very bad indeed. I've been told of former members who surfed the Internet for porn on a computer routinely used by children, was rude and verbally abusive to the staff and volunteers, broke into the headquarters and stole valuables and used alcohol on the premises in full and knowing violation of the posted rules.
And these were just the ones I've been told about.
The concept of returning such disrespect for people who are genuinely respectful and helpful is alien to me. Why in the world, knowing the alternative is a return to the Street (and possibly a bad referral to other agencies that work with the homeless) would I ever deliberately violate a rule? To the contrary, whatever rules are posted, I make sure my family and I follow them to the letter, and I personally go above and beyond the posted rules. See, when I graduate out of GIHN (and I still want to be one of their fastest graduates) I want to be remembered not as the guy who downloaded porn onto a kids' computer, but the guy who was polite and helpful to the point of being anal about it.
Remember, the same people you meet on the way up are the same ones you meet on the way down.
Just my little soapbox rant for today.
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*In Norse mythology, the monster wolf Fenris, having grown large enough to become a threat to the gods, was to be bound to keep him out of mischief. Having the Dwarves forge a magical chain, the gods tried to chain him with it, but Fenris (sensing a trick) would only agree to be bound if one of the gods put his hand in Fenris' mouth as a show of good faith. The Norse god Tyr agreed, and as a result, lost his hand when an angry Fenris found he couldn't break the magic chain.
GIHN, like all organizations, I guess has its share of ingrates who, having finally recieved the help they sought for so long, then turned around and did something so clearly against the rules that it makes you wonder why the staff and its network of volunteers haven't yet lost their sense of dedication.
Thankfully, the number of former clients of a criminal or antisocial bent seems to be small, but the bad ones seemed to be very bad indeed. I've been told of former members who surfed the Internet for porn on a computer routinely used by children, was rude and verbally abusive to the staff and volunteers, broke into the headquarters and stole valuables and used alcohol on the premises in full and knowing violation of the posted rules.
And these were just the ones I've been told about.
The concept of returning such disrespect for people who are genuinely respectful and helpful is alien to me. Why in the world, knowing the alternative is a return to the Street (and possibly a bad referral to other agencies that work with the homeless) would I ever deliberately violate a rule? To the contrary, whatever rules are posted, I make sure my family and I follow them to the letter, and I personally go above and beyond the posted rules. See, when I graduate out of GIHN (and I still want to be one of their fastest graduates) I want to be remembered not as the guy who downloaded porn onto a kids' computer, but the guy who was polite and helpful to the point of being anal about it.
Remember, the same people you meet on the way up are the same ones you meet on the way down.
Just my little soapbox rant for today.
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*In Norse mythology, the monster wolf Fenris, having grown large enough to become a threat to the gods, was to be bound to keep him out of mischief. Having the Dwarves forge a magical chain, the gods tried to chain him with it, but Fenris (sensing a trick) would only agree to be bound if one of the gods put his hand in Fenris' mouth as a show of good faith. The Norse god Tyr agreed, and as a result, lost his hand when an angry Fenris found he couldn't break the magic chain.
# posted by Cybermancer @ 10:59 AM 
