One of the calls that I made this afternoon was to my area’s public school district human resource office. The first call was to the “head” person and, as usual, she didn’t answer her phone and her voicemail was full. I have left (probably) half a dozen messages over the years for her. The only time that she returned my call was after I called the Superintendent to say that I still hadn’t heard from her … and then the response was speedy and friendly (but never went anywhere after the gratuitous meeting.) The second call was when I hit “O” and got the front desk. I know the woman who works there and, no I am not a fan. It always seems like I am causing a problem in this department. The attitude seems to intimate that the day would be much better if I hadn’t pestered them while they were trying to work. Ahem! I am trying to find a job … and would like to work for the schools. I imagine that I am not the only person in this position. And, OH! By the way, there are jobs that are supposed to be open … I’m trying to help you fill them!

The third call (all within the same call … transferred and transferred again all without so much as a “hello” or “good-bye”. Explaining that I had paid for fingerprinting that was never added to my file and could I get my new prints with no charge. No. Fingerprints cannot be transferred. They must be re-done every two years. I really tried to explain what I was trying to accomplish again using different words but it didn’t work. Not sure if she was really listening to me anyway. So, if I want to be in the queue for temporary work, I have to fork over the bucks and get printed and drug tested again … and I may just sit in the queue or not even get added to the queue like the last time.

This is the third time that I’ve tried to “work” with these folks. And from the top on down, it seems that they’re all unhappy. Put-upon. Inconvenienced by the people who they are there to “help”. I’d love to be a happy voice at the other end of someone’s phone call. Maybe they’d like to switch lives with me?

Gone knitting.