Tag Archives: Volunteering

Fighting Off Depression & Feeling Horrible About Lying

Posted on by Gertie

Good Afternoon, World!!! I was asked if I could work tomorrow night and I said no due to having the flu. Yes, I know that was a lie but, I haven’t been feeling all that well and feel like I am coming down with a cold. In all honesty I don’t feel like working for the individual that wants me to work for them tomorrow because it always appears that I am working for that particular person. So, I told this person a lied saying I have the flu even though I don’t.

I really feel bad for lying to this individual about having the flu but since I feel like I am coming down with the cold and I see my doctor on Tuesday, I can get a doctors not as a precaution. I know lying is bad and it make me feel horrible about myself and it is something I rarely do. I just don’t want to work for this person as they always seem to be the one who needs someone to work for them.

On the plus side this whole ordeal is making me realize even more than usual that this job is not the best fit for me due to the fact that it is an on call position for a graveyard shift. If I had a more regular shift even for a graveyard shift I think I could do the job but since it is an on call position it is difficult for me due to sleep issues that I already have.

Because of this realization I am working on my resume and cover letter to apply to other jobs. Jobs that I will be interested in even if they are not Peer Specialist positions. Most anything with a study schedule in a field that is in the social service field I am cool with.

Even though I am working on job stuff, I have come to realize that my depression has increased a little bit today. Enough to where I don’t want to go to my volunteer job. Even though my depression is acting up I will be going to my volunteer job this evening. Getting out and doing something for others is always helpful for me even if it doesn’t feel like it at the moment.

I might be fighting off depression but at least I am attempting to not isolate by spending time with a friend before I go to my volunteer job as well as going to my volunteer job. My friend and I are going to go have a late lunch early dinner at our favorite restaurant, Red Robin. I love Red Robin. Eating at Red Robin with friends is always a good time and helps a good portion of the time.

I do not have much else to say in this post. I do feel really bad about lying to my colleague about having the flu so I don’t have to work tomorrow and hope that I am able to work through lying to them. Other than that I don’t have much else to say. I hope everyone has a good rest of their weekend. Peace Out, World!!!

 

More Tuesday Randomness

Posted on by Gertie

Hello, once again, World!!! As I mentioned to you in my last two post I slept most of the day due to being in the hospital most of the night last night. Well, I am still quite sleepy and might go to be early. It is only 8:45 in the evening in my corner of the world. So after I am done posting this post I might call it a night.

As many tomorrow is Wednesday and I have a busy day. My day will start with me going to a phone bank to volunteer. Yes, I said phone bank. What I am going to be doing at the phone bank is calling people to remind people to vote. Specifically, asking individuals to vote for certain politicians. Yes, I am volunteering for a particular political party which I won’t disclose due to not wanting to start a political battle on my blog. I just feel like this years mid term elections are extremely import this year. More so than any other mid term election.

After I am done volunteering at the political phone bank I am going to my local mental health agency to not only see my therapist but attend a communications group. I would have saw my therapist today but I slept most of the day due to being in the emergency room all night last night and needed the sleep. Since I am going to be going to see my therapist tomorrow I might as well as attend a new group on healthy communication. I figure that I can always learn something new about communication as I don’t communicate very well at times. So, I’ll be seeing my therapist and attending group therapy.

After attending group and seeing my therapist I will be going out to dinner with some from friends. We are not sure where we are going yet. We just know we are not going to Red Robin even though I would prefer to go to Red Robin.  All I know is I am looking forward to spending time with friends while enjoying some good food.

After a semi early dinner with friends, I will be going to a work training tomorrow evening. I am looking forward to the training as the training is something I haven’t really learned about in previous work training’s at previous employers. The one thing I need to do is look at my work email tomorrow morning so I am all caught up on work related stuff. I am looking forward to the training.

Now that I have informed you on what I am going to do tomorrow, Wednesday, I want to kindly remind you of something which I have already done recently. That reminder is that I have advertisements on my blog. I have those advertisements on my blog to earn some extra money even if it is a few extra cents. Every times someone clicks an advertisement (and lets it fully load), I can earn as little as a few cents or as much as a couple of dollars. I know it doesn’t sound like much but each penny counts.  It will help buy gift for family and friends for the upcoming holiday season despite what holiday they celebrate. So please do this blogger a good thing so I can give gifts to those who love and care about me. It would mean a great deal to me if you are able to click on an ad once or twice a week if not more.

Thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. It means a great deal to me that I have people who read my blog. You all mean the world to me. So thank you for reading my blog again. I hope everyone has a great rest of their Tuesday. Peace Out, World!!!

It’s Been a Busy Couple of Weeks

Posted on by Gertie

Hello, World!!! It has been almost two weeks since I last posted. I have been busy with a lot of things lately especially job related. I’ve done my three shadowing shifts that I needed to do. In fact it is suppose to be six shadowing shifts however everyone I shadowed informed my supervisor that I don’t need all six shadowing shifts. I still have other training’s I need to do as part of my job. Despite having to do more training’s for work, I still yet to be called to do a shift for someone as I am an on call shelter counselor.

On top of work stuff I have been volunteering at the Warm Line as well as a group facilitator at a peer run agency. Not only am volunteering two places and working I am also volunteering for two local politicians. I am the annoying person who calls you to remind you to vote and to endorse the candidate I am volunteering for. So, yes, I am getting more involved with politics this year. I loved it the last time I did it and have decided to do this year.

I have also been going to doctors appointments every two weeks. This is to help me not go to the emergency room for minor health issues as well as mental health stuff. It appears to be working a great deal as it is keeping me from going to the emergency room for minor health issues.

On top of seeing my regular doctor every two weeks, I am seeing my therapist twice a week.  He is doing this to help me stay out of the emergency room as well the extra support I need right now in regards to my new job. My therapist is amazing. He is just as amazing as Gilbert and Diana were.

Thank you for reading. I hope to be more vigilant when it comes to blogging on the more regular basis. I am grateful for all of you who read my blog regularly. Have a goodnight everyone. Peace out, world!!!

What A Week?

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! It has been a few days since I have blogged. I had every intention to blog more this week however I was both busy and exhausted. I was busy with the peer conference I both attended and volunteered and that is what caused me to be exhausted.

I had a really great time at the conference. I loved being able to attend the seminars while at the same time serve my fellow peer specialist/counselor. My primary duty as a volunteer was to hand out and collect the evaluations of the seminars I attended and I was able to attend the ones I wanted to. It was also awesome to see friends I haven’t seen in awhile due to having busy lives.

I was suppose to have a job interview today however they needed to change it to next week and I am just waiting for them to let me know when. That was for the peer job. As for the other job I was trying to get an interview for, the interview has finally been scheduled for Tuesday. That is for a Shelter Counselor position at homeless shelter for young adults. Whatever job I get is the job I am meant to have at the moment.

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a good weekend. Peace Out, World!!!

An Early Start To The Day

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! I know I have posted earlier than this before however I really never needed be up and ready by now unless it was when I was working. I am at the conference I have been telling you all about. The one I am volunteering at. I got to the hotel yesterday.

Well, I am looking forward to what the day has to in store even if things appear to be a bit more disorganized than last year. I have a volunteer meeting I need to be at, at seven. That’s about thirty minutes way. I am having anxiety over some things but that is normal for this kind of thing especially when things appear to be disorganized from my end of things.

I know this is relatively short post from me as of lately however I need to do good self care before the morning volunteer meeting. Thank you so much from my end of things for reading my blog. It is very much appreciated from my end of things. I hope to update you when time allows for me to do so. I have a full day ahead of me so I might now be able to do so till this evening. Peace Out, World!!!

Ways To Get Through The Grief Today

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, once again, World!!! I know this is my third time blogging this morning but I am having a tough moment with grief at the moment. So I want to discuss what I plan on doing today to help through the grief of missing my grandma.

First and fore most I am relying on the support of Lil Gertie, my cat. She has her moments of being a cat and not want anything to do with me or any other human. Just having her around is helpful for me. She has be cuddly with me this morning which is most helpful with dealing with grief.

Another way I am going to deal with the grief is going to go to a local peer run organization to volunteer. I volunteer by helping co-facilitate a peer support group. Due to confidentiality I can’t go into more detail about it. But I enjoy being able to volunteer by co-facilitate a peer run group.

Another thing I am doing today is spending time with my family. We are celebrating my grandpa’s birthday today even though it was this past Thursday (August 23rd). Celebrating my grandpa’s birthday is going to be a good thing. Yes, a little difficult as it is his first birthday without my grandma but my dad, two uncles and I will do our best to make it a good one for him.

When I get home from spending time with my family, I plan on packing. Packing for a peer conference I will be volunteering at. The conference may not start till Tuesday but I need to be at the hotel tomorrow afternoon to help do last minute set up as I am volunteering for the conference. So I will be doing a lot of packing. Yes, I will be able to attend the sessions of the conference as I volunteer and that is the beauty of it. I just hope I don’t forget anything when I am packing for the conference.

Thank you for reading. Have a great Sunday. I hope to be able to blog again later today but I can’t make any promises. Have a great day. Peace Out, World!!!

Being Jobless is Hopeless But There is Always Hope in Things

Posted on by Gertie

Being jobless especially in the field you desire to work in is difficult to wrap your mind around. It is hard to wrap you head around if you keep applying for jobs but not get any interviews or worse you get the interviews but not the job.

I know this because I have been in this spot a lot over the last year and half. But hope is not lost because I figure the more I apply to places and get interviews, the more my name gets out there. Which gives me hope.

The things that keeps me going is looking for jobs and applying for them even if I don’t get an interview. I say this because, my name is out there and at least I am trying to get back to work.

Another thing that keeps the hope alive is having a volunteer job to attend to. Or in my case I have two volunteer jobs I have an obligation to. I have two volunteer jobs because it makes me feel good helping other people and it also looks good on the resume’. In fact I might be getting a third volunteer job later this week if all goes well with a job interview for the volunteer job position I am desiring.

Granted having a volunteer job will not give you a pay check or money you need to pay the bills but employers do look at due to the fact that you were doing something with your time other than sitting on your butt doing nothing.

I am hoping that as I look for jobs that employers look at the volunteer work I do. In fact volunteering is what helps me be and stay hopeful. It helps because I am doing something for others that I can’t get back and that is my time. People will remember the time you give including future employers.

The hope in being jobless is that you have time to give to others that you wouldn’t have if you had a job. Yes, once I get a job I will have to reduce the amount of volunteer jobs I have but I will make sure I will still have at least one volunteer job when I do eventually get a paying job.

Thank you for reading my post. I hope that I didn’t make anyone hopeless with thing post because that wasn’t my intention. My intention was to give you hope by maybe getting a volunteer job as you wait for the paying job you need and/or desire. I want to thank you again for reading. It much appreciated. Have a great rest of your Sunday. Peace Out, World!!!

Attempted To Go Back To Sleep But A No Go

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, again, World!!! I attempted to go back to sleep and was unsuccessful at it. I might as well as start my normal daily routine. Right now that includes having a cup of tea and reading the news paper. As always, there is never anything good in the news however having this morning routine gives me a since of accomplishment. It gives me something to do to start my day out.

At this moment in time I am a little worried about my health as my doctor wants me to see her every two weeks. I know she is doing it to be preventative so I am not going to the Emergency Room as much but it still worries me. She is also doing it to help be preventative with my mental health symptoms as well. I have had my doctor for nine years now and this is the worst she has seen me mental health wise even though my mental health symptoms are slowly improving.

My therapist will now being seeing me twice a week instead of once a week. It is kind of a similar way to the way my doctor is thinking, to try to keep me from using the Emergency Room too much. Plus, my therapist wants to get deeper into the things that are really bothering me like trauma related things. I don’t know if I like the idea of going deeper into things but if it ultimately helps me and my mental health then I am willing to give it a try.

Right now I need to get my mind off of things so I think I am going to go take a shower which always make me feel better. I will also have some breakfast because food is always a good thing for both your health and mental health.

After taking care of some basic needs I think I will do some good self-care things for myself before I go to my volunteer job. One way I will do some self care is by doing some art. Specifically, I will be doing some painting. After doing some painting, I’ll be doing some reading. I will be reading the fantasy novel as well a comic books. Reading helps me a great deal to get out of my own head and forget about the depression I am struggling with at the moment.

As much as my depression sucks, going to my volunteer job this evening will be quite helpful for me. It will help me focus that my problems aren’t as bad as others. Volunteering helps me get out of my own head. Helping others always helps me be in a better head place.

Now that I am done boring you half out of your mind, I will end this post for now. Thanks so much for reading my blog. It is very much appreciated from my end of things. I hope everyone has a great weekend. Have a good Saturday. Peace Out, World!!!

Here’s To Hoping

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, again, World!!! I know I just posted about less than an hour ago but felt like posting again. I have forgotten to mention a couple of things since my last post.

Today, I hope to hear back from the potential employer who I have been playing email tag with to set up a job interview. I am hoping to hear back today to find out when my interview is. It is slightly anxiety provoking but it is one of those things that I will deal with.

On a plus note, I have an interview later this week for a volunteer job at the Seattle Art Museum. I am looking forward to it. Volunteering at the art museum will give me something to do and a way to meet new people.

An idea I have for the day is take my laptop with me a post about things that are going on for me at the moment. For example, I will most likely post while waiting to see my doctor. I also hope to blog while waiting to see my therapist as well but their WiFi seems to be down a great deal. The one thing I won’t do is blog while have lunch with my grandpa at Red Robin. That would just be rude. Now blogging while in the waiting rooms of my doctors and therapist office is a different story.

I honestly hope I hear back about a job interview time for sometime next week. I prefer Monday or Tuesday in the morning but realize that they need to arrange people schedules who will be doing the interviewing.

Having a job will help me immensely with my mental health. Having structure in my life is a good thing and having something what I consider productive for me is quite helpful.  Plus having the extra money will be quite helpful to help pay for stuff that I want but don’t need.

Thank you for reading. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things. I hope to blog again in the waiting room of my doctors office. Have a great and Happy Friday. Peace Out, World!!!

The Last Shitty Randomness Post For The Night

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! It is nine thirty at night in my corner of the world. Not exactly bed time for me yet as I stay up late. Yet, I know many of you are still up right now because it is the middle of the night in your corner of the world and are unable to sleep.

Today’s topics in my post are nothing but randomness that comes to my mind. I know that sounds odd and bit out there but it appears to be working with people at least reading my boring ass blog.

We have discussed many topics here including me getting an interview for a volunteer position at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). I am looking forward to it and hope I get the volunteer position.

This led into my frustration with a potential employer that said they wanted to set up a time next week to do an interview yet they haven’t gotten back to me. This frustrates the hell out of me because it is a job that I really want.

I discussed a great deal of things in what I am calling my randomness series. We covered a great deal of topics. Topics that I hope will get people interested in reading my blog.

One thing I have discussed many times is the advertisements I have a blog. I have them in hopes that people click on them. If people click on them I make some money. Not much money. Only a few cents worth but its money that adds up. I hope people will do that to help a poor soul like me.

I also discussed me filling out a volunteer application for Benaroya Hall, home of the Seattle Symphony so I could volunteer there as well. I love symphony music. Volunteering with the visual and performing arts always looks good on a resume’.

I guess right now I really want to get an interview with potential employer who reached out to me about times to interview yet has never gotten back to me. I really want this job because it will allow me to volunteer places as well attend my much needed appointments with my therapist.

We did talk about my physical health as well. But we really didn’t discuss much about my mental health. I see my regular doctor tomorrow and then see my therapist afterwards which is a good thing.

Going back to the work thing is if I get this job I would only be working one to two days a week because its an overnight shift at a young adult shelter where homeless individual between 18 to 25ish sleep. They are twelve hour shifts. Only working twelve to twenty four hours a week will allow me to keep volunteering as well attend to my needs regarding both physical and mental health.

I know it is barely nine fifteen at night but I’m calling it a night. I hope everyone has a good nights sleep tonight and Peace Out, World!!!