Finding Passion in Unlikely Faces

Nearly the entirety of my work background to this point has been in positions related to the customer service industry. Whether I was employed as a barista, a grocery store clerk, or a restaurant server, many of my experiences at these different positions were similar, and began to mold my perspective of what it means to have a job in the adult world. Towards the end of my last job as a server, I was becoming more and more discouraged at the prospect of working for the rest of my life, as it was all fairly mundane and lacked a certain ambition or intensity that I was searching for.

Knowing that change was necessary, I started poking around other industries to see if there was anything I could find that could possibly spark something inside of me. I assumed going into my exploration that I would eventually find what I was looking for in the form of a typical position, e.g. marketing, sales, customer support, IT or other software positions, etc. Progress was slow, and I was naturally discouraged. While in this sort of “limbo”, I applied for a few odd jobs just to hold me over while I tried to find what I was looking for… or at least what I thought I was looking for. As it turned out, I did find the ambition I was looking for, but not where I thought I would.

The ambition I found this past June comes in the form of direct care. I currently work for a company based in Wayzata, Minnesota, called Hammer Residences. Hammer is a non profit direct care group whose mission is, as stated on their website, “[to] provide adults and children with developmental disabilities the opportunity to live life to its fullest.” That mission is succinct, yet wonderfully authentic. As a direct care professional (DCP), I assist 6 adult men in all facets of their day to day lives. My responsibilities include cooking, all house cleaning, laundry, distributing medication, all other odd duties that come with caring for individuals in a private residence. Most importantly, my job is to be a staple of stability in someone’s life who is typically accustomed to volatile circumstances.

After a short preliminary period where I was becoming acclimated with the position, as cliche as it sounds, I fell in love with the job, more specifically the guys; however, it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. As I mentioned this was my first time in the health arena, and immediately I knew I was going to have to make adjustments concerning my perspective of the job. For a bit of a personal note, I’m a person who has both extroverted and introverted tendencies with moderate levels of comfort around new things and new people, but I appreciate alone time just as well. Obviously, as the personal cares I provide for the guys are just about everything in the imagination, I had to throw any inhibitions about privacy or delicacy out the window as best I could. Now, I’m able to do everything I need to without batting an eye, and I have an increasing appreciation for anyone and everyone who has done this job before me, or jobs of a similar vein.

In addition to shaping my frame of mind about the job, I had to take some time to self reflect on the attitude and demeanor that not only the job required of me, but that I required of myself. I’m continuously working on my patience, which in this field is crucial. The 6 guys I work with all have different verbal communication capabilities and each has mastered their own unique way of speaking. As anticipated, there was a steep learning curve when it came to learning to speak and understand the guys, as they’ve spent most of their lives struggling to be understood. Although frustrating, daily conversations with the guys is far and away my favorite part of the job. I’m sure that doesn’t come as a surprise, as much of it isn’t very flashy (see responsibilities above), but the process of getting to know the residents and becoming invested into their lives is easily my favorite part of the job. Coming from a customer service background, I was well versed in interpersonal communication and was confident in my ability to be articulate and helpful, but this was a whole other animal. Through trial and error (and lots of patience on their part), I can now speak Jeff. I’m also fluent in Paul, Kelly, Dean, Tom, and Mike.

Through these past few months, my experiences have ranged from exciting and ecstatic to lackluster and somber. Sickness, temper tantrums, retaliation of all forms, seizures, and stubbornness are just some of the things that make you want to pull out your hair as a DCP, and yet seeing their smile when I walk in the door with their favorite pop from the local Holiday gas station seems to make it all worthwhile. I’m full of cliches today, but I guess they’re only cliches because they are universally accepted as true, and I am just one instance of that. I briefly touched the topic above, but the single most important lesson I have learned through this job is the importance of patience. It’s so easy to lose my head and want to explode on one of the guys for doing something I view as unthinkable, but sometimes a deep breath changed my mindset for the entire day. These guys have had random people come in and out of their lives for years. People bossing them around, telling them they can’t do certain things, can’t eat certain things, can’t see their family. After a few weeks on the job I put myself in their shoes. Can you imagine that? In your own home, nonetheless. That sudden realization was all it took for me to realize that what I have with these guys is something special, and I am honored to do what I do. Granted some days I need to step outside and take a few minutes to collect myself, but sometimes that’s okay, because it allows me to get my head on straight again, go back inside and do what I need to do.

I’ve always enjoyed working with people, helping other people, and just being around other people in general, but this position has done more for me than any other position could have. Being a DCP has opened my eyes and has legitimately sculpted a brand new perspective that I have of human beings, disabled or otherwise, and the lessons I have learned and continue to learn will stick with me for the rest of my days.

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