Occupational Hazards

Most people who know me know that I love my job. I don't sit at a desk all day, staring at a computer. I don't have the personality for that. I love working with people and doing something different every day.

And yes, while I love my job....there are some interesting "occupational hazards". One that distinctly comes to mind is having clients that seem to be numb from the brain down when it comes to personal hygiene/cleanliness. I have had one client in particular that once told me the water had been shut off in his/her apartment for the last 3 months, so he/she hadn't bathed since then. This same client picks his/her nose with his/her long nasty nails, withdraws his/her finger to inspect it, then wipes it on his/her clothes. I have had this person more than once and working with this person makes my skin crawl. (typing the gender confusing words is to somewhat protect the client) There are not words to describe the tumult of things my stomach does when smelling, seeing, or interacting with this person. But it all comes down to one thing: this person has just as much a right to an interpreter as the next person who is Deaf. He/she has just as much right to having access to things as you or I do. This just happens to be a client who tests my abilities to be kind and respectful to all of God's children/creatures. Whether a person is appallingly rude to others, smells like what comes out of an elephant's derrier, smokes like a chimney, drinks like a fish, or what have you, it is not my responsibility to judge, just to be a conduit of communication between a hearing consumer and a Deaf client.

Outside of this, the other day I was interpreting for a client that had me make a rather unpleasant remark to one of their constituents. I've even had to yell at myself because a Deaf person got upset with me for a very trivial reason that was out of my control. I have had to say some of the most unpleasant things to some of the nicest people on the behalf of someone who is Deaf.

With all of this said, here is a disclaimer or two: I VERY rarely have these kinds of situations come up, and in a weird and twisted way, it keeps my job interesting-to say the least.

So with all of these so-called "occupational hazards" I still love my job. Instead of sitting on a bench somewhere doing some "people watching" and watching interesting folks from a distance, I work in an occupation that makes me one of those people that actually interacts with those weirdos or truly interesting people. So bring on the weird ducks, the whack jobs, the complainers, the people who don't bathe but every blue moon....I am strangely grateful for their acquaintances because they teach me and remind me that there truly are all kinds of people in this world.