Read My Lips - the blog

Moona has arrived

As Tig told ya, I'm a small town gal. Hav been drinkin' Salty Dogs, so hope this is cohererent. Well, I used to live in a town so small that goin' to a nearbly town of about 15,000 was a real adventure. They even had a mall, but it wasn't much after the K-Mart closed), We didn't go much unless we jest had to. Traffic wuz real bad, ya know. Never went to Dallas & Fort Worth (Sodom & Gomorrah)! In the town where I usta live, there was a guy that had a fence made of old commodes. Really. They finally tore it down. It was a site to see. This town was in a rual county where the people thank that it's the center of the universe. My ex-in-laws never accepted me becuz I wasn't born there.

Well, I used to be a caseworker for what we used to call the Welfare Department. I could pretty much write a book about that.

After I worked there a few months, I realized that nearly everybody was kin to everybody else. There were some reel intersting folks.

In the beginning, I really thot' I was helpin' people. One family came in for Food Stamps. They had no income, no utilities turned on at all. I started talking to this couple. They had 2 small babies, both in diapers. Both drinking from bottles. A part of my interview for Food Stamps was to find out how they were managing.

"You have no money coming in at all?"

"No."

"So, the babies are wearing cloth diapers. How have you been washing them"

"Well, I have a wood stove. My brother-in-law, he cuts wood, and I use it in the wood stove. My brother brings us water. We heat the water in the wood stove, and we wrench the diappers in hot water."

"OK, the babies are drinking from bottles--How do you wash the bottles?"

"We wrench them in hot water--3 times (holding up fingers). You'd be surprised how clean they kum when you wrench them (holding up fingers) 3 times!"

"OK--what about toilet paper. You have no income--How do you buy toilet paper?"

(Tee-hee) "We use old groc'ry sacks."

So, management was explained. So I get this idea---Maybe we can get them a grant so that they can have their utilities turned on . . ..

"So, why does Mr. C----- not work?"

Mrs.: Why, he's disabled!!"

"How is he disabled?? Perhaps we can get disability AFDC for him."

Mr.: "I was bit by a poisonous bug when I was in the 3rd grade and could not go to school any more. I also have back trouble."

I wrote up all of the socio-economic information and requested a medical report from his doctor. The report from the local doctor came back: "There's nothing wrong with him--He just needs to be fixed."

I sent all of this in to State office, and they sent back a request for a psychological exam.

I called Mr. & Mrs. C----- in to set up the appointment to see a psychiatrist.

Mr. C------- became agitated and angry, beating on the desk: "I don't need no psychiatrist!"

I calmly stated, "Seeing a psychiatrist does not at all mean that you are crazy. They are just trying to identify any problems which might contribute to your not being able to work. You migh get a check if they find a reason why it is difficuilt for you to work.

" A check? OK --I guess I'll go."

The report came back that Mr. C----- was mentally retarded, and, in fact, eligible for an SSI check. The remainder of the family was eligible for an AFDC check, since the husband was disabled according to Social Security. So---The family finally had enough money coming in to have their utilities turned on. They had Medicaid, too. When they came into town to use the Welfare Department bathroom, all were wearing glassses and had some new clothes. I was so proud of myself for helping them.

Then the next month rolled around. Mr. C------- came into my office angrily, plopping down his gas, water, & electric bills on my desk. l

"How do you expect us to pay these bills on the little bit you give us each month.?"

I kwit that job not too much longer. Being a Walmart employee was much more fulfilling. But I visited that town not too long ago and found that there were a lot more families there with that name. Guess he never got fixed.

Posted by Moona at December 23, 2004 12:16 AM | TrackBack