12:15 a.m. - 2004-04-17
Standards of Conduct
I heard from my assistant's wife today. Her hubby has been in the hospital for a week now. Emergency surgery to fix something that went amiss from the November surgery he had. She sounded quite stressed - no doubt. I called him a little bit later to see how he was faring. He told me tales about hospital practices that really threw me for a loop. I worked in a hospital many years ago. At least half of each day was spent assisting in the care of critically ill patients. There were very strict protocols with respect to basic things like cleanliness. From what he relayed to me, it is no wonder there are so many people coming home sick from going into the hospital. Even years ago, it was impossible to ensure abolutely sterile conditions in more public areas, but we did things like scrubbing down telephone receivers, door handles and walls, in addition to all the equipment and facilities used by patients and staff. He was telling me about used bedpans being left on surfaces where patients' food was placed and being refused simple things like washcloths and towels to clean one's self with. I can't imagine why patients would be reduced to using paper towel for such purposes, but that is unacceptable. That joke circulating on the internet about checking into a hotel rather than a hospital is beginning to make sense now. He asked what recourse he had to complain since, as senior elections staff, we are not allowed to "use our influence" on elected officials. I suggested that he write the regional heallth authority. They oversee the entire health industry here. They were elected at one time, but the provincial government found that too inconvenient so they turfed the entire elected body mid-term the first year it was elected. Democracy in action. Uh huh.
Odd piece in the human resources e-zine I received today. It described the techniques HR "professionals" use to get rid of employees that the company doesn't wish to keep on the payroll. The ones where there is no cause. In some of the instances listed, the person was obviously hard working and productive, but that didn't seem to matter. It was another one of those cognitive dissonance moments, as I read comments from one HR person calmly explaining the harrassing techniques commonly engaged in as if it was no big deal. How can some people look at themselves in the mirror in the morning. The positive side was the workers who were receiving damages in the courts when they could argue their case successfully. Those interviewed obviously didn't want or enjoy the experience but when one's credibility and reputation in an industry or career one loves is harmed, what other recourse is left these days. Although the story was pertinent to the US, it has it's echoes here. Our provincial government has gutted the labour laws protecting workers to the point where there is no recourse through the old labour boards any more. harrassment
Two dreams to record. One was a while back. I fell asleep praying for help with some of the goals I'm not feeling are progressing too well. I know - be careful what you pray for. Anyway I was asking for help with losing the tummy that built up after I got sick - I'm losing everywhere else but there. All of a sudden the cousin who died just before Christmas showed up in the dream. She was quite chipper and said she had the solution. I looked down and realized I was naked. I was shocked to see I had a nice smooth flat belly like I used to have. My reaction? Fear. Why? Because now people could see who I really was. Cognitive dissonance again.
The second dream was about a politician I volunteered with on a number of projects over a period of 9 years. We had gone to the same high school but hadn't really known each other then. The common purpose when we worked together was to help children and families in our community. I watched him go from an up-beat sharp witted advocate to an angry, bitter man in that time. Mid-way through those years he moved his family to the US saying it was a career move. He resigned an elected position he had fought hard to win and seemed to love. The change in his personality occurred over that time. I've always wondered if the reason for his flight was some form of blackmail about his past. He was very effective in the position he had and could have gone to the next level of power with very little difficulty. Don't know. The dream was brief. I was in what appeared to be my own office. This person's father was in the room as though he was waiting to attend a meeting with me and two or three other people who I didn't recognize. I bent down to pick up a pencil that had dropped on the floor. Looked up and realized that this politician - as he was years ago - had arrived and was sitting in my chair. He seemed aware of me, but would not acknowledge my presence. He called the meeting to order even though it was my office and hechaired the discussion. I was afraid to speak. His temper toward the end of those 9 years was legendary and I did not want him to yell at me. Again I felt disoriented because of the shift in time and the collection of people present, I was aware that it was a dream but couldn't understand the purpose.
That segued into another brief vignette, where I found myself at another meeting. This time it was all females none of whom I knew. They were all model thin and wearing skanky, skimpy outfis and all were wearing very long thin stiletto heels. Seemed to all be blonds too. We sat around a table with sushi bowls at each place. A bigger bowl of onions and greens was passed from person to person and the reason we were together was to eat all that was in the bowl. It was not a meal, it was a ritual of some sort. Didn't feel too nice in intent, but no questions were allowed. I got up to leave and everyone vanished in a puff of smoke.
Not much else to report today so I guess I'd better bite the bullet and go do those exercises. Night dear diary.
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