Dimple's Discoveries

I have been volunteering at a local shelter for victims of domestic violence, doing some slightly different work than I have ever done before. One of my new tasks is to admit victims into the shelter by determining eligibility, and then assisting them in "checking in" by finding out more about their situation and helping them settle in for that first day or night at the shelter.This is by far my favorite part of my responsibilities, because I can't wait to sit across from them as they tell their story, and tell them how proud I am of their courage to leave. Several have spoken of pretending to go to the grocery store, picking up their children and their purse and coming straight to the shelter. It has moved me more than I can say, but I would love to share a realization I had a couple of weeks ago while checking in a resident. This resident came in with her young child, and was attempting to cuddle the sleeping toddler around her very pregnant stomach as she quietly ...

I have been afraid countless times. Unfortunately being afraid is not an emotion I lack. It's not uncommon for me to be on high alert as I walk in a dark alley, as I am home alone and hear a loud noise, or even when someone touches me unexpectedly. However, these momentary times when your heartbeat stops for a second are not the ones I am referring to. Tonight I will tell you about the time I felt true fear. We've all heard of it, and some, I'm sure, have already experienced it's cold and rough grip: The mind-stopping, heart racing, time-slowing fear that flows like ice through our veins and freezes us where we stand. This fear that can so quickly penetrate every cell of our bodies and souls can be paralyzing; a lesson I was soon to learn. I work in dangerous situations all the time with my line of work, both at the county jail and as an advocate. Perhaps I had become accustomed to the thought, or was incredibly naive about my work... either way I was not emotion...

 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...

Clinton, UT -A quiet small town, population of almost 21,000, unheard of by most of the world until recently. Unfortunately, it made news on a certain night in November, a holiday of Thanksgiving and gratitude for the blessings God has granted us. At approximately 8pm Walmart employees cut away the wrapping on tablets. These tablets had a retail price of $50, but ended up being more costly than that. As you'll see in the video below, the crowd surges forward, and in an instant, someone falls beneath the rushing feet. You hear police yelling for everyone to step back so they can get to the woman now being trampled by a crowd similar to wild animals in the forest. I cannot finish watching this video, as it pains me to watch human beings act so ferocious towards each other for plastic and metal. One thing I did notice however, and I want you to notice too, is that there are two kinds of heartless animal mentalities in this crowd. As you hear the call rippling through the air for p...

My partner and I pull into a trailer park, spot the police cars and park near them, and notice the neighbors gathered outside talking quietly in circles, giving us wary looks. I don my 'Family Crisis Center' badge, grab my binder and we head to the trailer, as red and blue lights revolve intermittently on the outside walls of the trailer and on us. We knock and are let in by a police officer who proceeds to brief us on the situation: the husband started a verbal fight, and escalated to slamming his wife’s head into the fridge by holding a fistful of her hair, choking her son when he tried to intervene, and by threatening to kill her when he called from the jail asking for bail money. I sit on a dirty recliner listening to this woman cry out her frustration, her fears, and her despair. Her children sit nearby, quietly supporting her and occasionally rubbing her arm in an effort to console the inconsolable. Had her daughter not called the police, who called us, we might neve...