Mostly it was a very busy, but satisfying work day. I got the new books and donations processed and linked and into circulation, got half the ILL requests sent, CDs tomorrow, sent out three bins full of return ILLs and some ILLs requested from us. Yes I carried it down the stairs in one trip, I keep thinking I am special.
A visitor dropped in, he works as a volunteer, helping with whatever the Governor can't find funds for, and since there is a hiring freeze that seems to be a lot. He remembered me from years ago, I had attended a Kairos closing and he had asked if I would write something up about my experience - he remembered that I had. Go ahead, ask me to write, anyway, he said of the forty or more people he has asked only three have written. I don't work in Kairos as long as I work inside the fence, too confusing to the inmates is my reasoning. I still help bake cookies at the church when I can. I gave him my business card, with the blog title and my personal emails on the back. I also had a nice talk with two of the Corrections Officers coming in and working, asking how I was, did I need a break - it was only last Wednesday that I fainted, wasn't it? We did get the Segregation Unit books out and picked up the returns, so even having things still undone (we had a five minute Earthquake drill!) I was feeling good about going home and returning tomorrow.
It is raining, I have mentioned that haven't I? and as I left the Visitors' Building I saw a man ahead of me folding up his umbrella, so I called and asked him if he knew it was raining, and he said did you hear what she said. She being the officer in the tower controlling the gate sally port. I said no, I hadn't heard her, and I stood waiting for the gate to open for me, and it didn't.
So I waited, and then the officer said plainly that one couldn't open an umbrella until they cleared the second gate to the outside of the fence. And she called me a "Jackass". I had been outed. I did mention that I didn't have an umbrella, my ID was on the outside of my leather jacket, and I am now known to the world waiting at the gate as a Jackass. Feeling as bad as she wanted me to feel, standing in the rain, at a gate she wouldn't open, not being allowed to verbally assault the Corrections Officer in the fine performance of her duty, I turned to the other people that were waiting, and explained to three of the ladies with open umbrellas that they would have to close them and make sure their ID cards were showing before the officer that had called me a name would open the gate. They closed their umbrellas and we all got through the two gates the officer controlled without having to submit to any further abuse.
It really was my fault, being a Jackass, it isn't the officer's fault that she had to tell the world that I am less than human. She does have the responsibility to make sure that no inmates or other monsters of various persuasions sneak out under the cover of an umbrella. It is really true, if I were to continue to work at a place that I am not given a civil level of respect that I am sure I am a Jackass.
3 comments:
terrible :(
You were kinder than I'd have been.
I have also been identified as a jackass by many people. Some with just cause, others just 'cause they're having a bad day.
You were a big man to let it pass.
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