Dimple's Discoveries

 Outlier: a mathematical term for something or someone varying from the norm. I believe that outliers are what we notice or are affected by the most in our lives. Especially once you have worked in a particular job or field for an extended period of time, even traumatic events can start to be the baseline, and you go about your job until an outlier blindsides you. For me, domestic violence calls have become my baseline, and I forget the average Joe on the street doesn't openly discuss people being thrown, punched, or attacked without batting an eye. The calls that I remember with the most clarity are the extremely violent, the young, the old, and the most heartbreaking. This call was an outlier.  The call from dispatch sent us flying to the Emergency Room, where we waited for the ambulance to arrive, and then waited almost an hour for her to be evaluated, treated and have documentation of her injuries.    We finally got the call to go back, and I knew it was ...

The call came as I was wandering the canned foods section of the grocery store in my pajamas. 'Of course! Stupid Murphy's law.' I thought to myself. I had fifteen minutes to be heading to the scene, which meant a rushed check-out, a scrambled change, and I had to leave the groceries in the trunk as I sped to the meeting spot. Miraculously I made it with two minutes to spare, and we were off. The call was about ten minutes north of us, so we hopped on the freeway and collaborated on what we knew from dispatch. Usually we have a good idea of what is happening on scene before we get there, but this time the only warning was "It's a child". My heart sunk, and the car was quiet as we pulled up to the house.  After talking with the two officers on scene and one of the women involved, we finally had the full story: a mom with three boys ranging in ages from 4-8 picked up a homeless woman she didn't know (who admittedly was manic depressive, bipolar and off...

I am a fierce and passionate feminist. Let it be known that I am completely on board with women being considered equal to men.I also believe in gender roles, and cannot wait to fulfill my #1 goal of being a stay-at-home wife and mother. Believers in both ideas would call me a traitor or fence-sitter. I am about to tell you why I am not a walking contradiction (in this topic anyway). I believe that gender roles are a stronghold for a stable community. Before anyone decides to get spicy, do I mean that a man cannot be a good cook or nurturer? Of course not! Do I mean a woman isn't capable of holding her own in an office or any workforce? Of course not! We are all capable of so many incredible things, each of us with unlimited potential. But each gender has intrinsic and divinely placed gifts, so we are each asked to lift where we stand by using the gifts we have to better the world around us. The Proclamation to the Family states: "Gender is an essential characteristic of indi...

http://www.rainymood.com/ (Open this website in another tab while you read this story) I have always loved rain: the raging thunder, the foreshadowing heavenly smell, the cool drizzle on my face, the refreshing wind. The rainstorm that started on July 15th started out no different for me. It had been a hot and muggy day, but dark clouds hinted at rainfall, and I was content as I changed my outfit to go to a dinner meeting with my coworkers. I decided to change into long sleeves, long pants and knee-high boots as the rain started to fall. Our windows were open, and I could hear my neighbors run through the rain singing, laughing and dancing in puddles.This was nothing unusual, and while waiting for my ride I went out and stood on the porch and watched the spectacle, smiling faintly as I enjoyed the quiet moment. It was the week before finals, I had been working full time and going to school full time, so a peaceful second to relax was rare and appreciated. As the rain fell harder, I ...

When I was in Junior High I knew an amazing girl who was struggling with a lot on her plate. These struggles went far beyond boy trouble or puberty complaints. Even after all these years I remember the courage and strength she exhibited in surviving all that she did. We separated for a time, and we have recently started talking again. After seeing her story unfold from my perspective I wanted to know what it was like from hers. I have asked her to share her story, in the hopes that one day, someone, somewhere can be bettered by what she endured. This is her story, in her own words: "To say I understood how it all happened or why things turned out the way they did would be a lie. I don’t know how or why anything happened the way that it did. At 15 life seemed like it was at its all-time low. Things at my home were not ideal, years of verbal abuse finally pushed me to my breaking point. I was lonely and wading through pools of pain and darkness. Being a 15 year old I didn’t know h...

I am a flawed individual. I make many mistakes every day. I have moments I have looked back on with shame and regret. I will never hesitate to admit that to anyone. I also have made some very wise choices. I have accomplished many of my greatest personal goals. I have worked very hard and have moments that I couldn't be more proud of. What both of these paragraphs have in common: me. That sounds stupid, but it's true. I made those decisions. Most importantly, I was doing my best. Whether I crashed and burned or took flight and soared, I was doing my best to make the best choice for me. I know that I have made mistakes in the past, but I choose to not let that affect my confidence in myself in making decisions now. I used to really stress about what others thought of my decisions, but as time went on and I started studying human beings and their relationships as a part of my major I recognized some interesting things: 1. I will not be able to please everyone 2. I can ask ...

I was at work today when I received an email that broke my heart, and I wept as I read the words "(Patient's name) passed away Wednesday from congestive heart failure.   We did not even know she had it and she went fast and peaceful.   I wanted you to know that she thought the world of you and you made her time in the facility so much better.   Thank you . " This particular patient held such a special place in my heart. I had referred to her in a previous post ' Satisfaction in a Job Well Done'  and ever since she left our facility she and I have stayed in contact, emailing back and forth as we ask each other about work, school, life, etc. Every email from her kept the joyful memories flooding back into my heart time and time again, as I remembered each time I was able to care for her, find ways to make her comfortable, or even when she taught me a special lifting technique to move her easier. I still cannot comprehend how kind, patient and happy...

I have started two new jobs in the last two months, both of which require entirely different skill sets-one expects me to be able to react quickly to dangerous situations, be alert constantly, and to maintain and be responsible for the safety of my coworkers at all times. It is an intense but fun job, and I have been grateful to be a part of it. My other job has been much more of a challenge for me. I was hired at a certain level, and in a turn of events was promoted two levels above that 3 months later. In doing so I am now a supervisor (along with two others) over employees in an office, and it has been one of the greatest blessings and heartaches I have had in a long time. I love my job, but I have also worried, cried, agonized, and poured over this job day and night in a way I have never had to before. As a CNA, I knew my tasks inside and out, I had a natural gift for interacting with patients and staff, and I was able to care for others in a way that satisfied my soul beyond a...

Human nature is an interesting thing- at times when trying to help us progress or gain something, it can actually detract from or delay our final goal by the methods our instincts guide us to use. Let me elaborate-I now work in an office setting, where I am a supervisor over about 30 employees who constantly handle phone calls, walk-ins, and instant message with clients who need assistance, want to be signed up for different programs we offer, applicants to our facility, etc. Obviously, at some point we are going to have someone who is unhappy with a policy or something they have been told. I am shocked time and again with people who contact us who attempt to bully their way into getting what they want. It seems to be their default setting, to berate, abuse, or attack the employees in their efforts to achieve their goal. Now I understand that sometimes offices give you a run-around, I have been tossed from office to office as I try to get answers for my questions, or as I am trying t...