Work and Attendants

Dealing with attendants while I am trying to work can be a double-edged sword that I have to keep sharp and handle with care. On one edge, I do need their help, but on the other, there are times I need them to leave me alone so I can get my work done. Obviously, I need them around to fulfill my personal needs such as assistance with the bathroom, drinking, and sometimes even driving me to a meeting. I also need their help sometimes with my work for things as inserting disks, resetting my communication device, and taking notes while I am on the phone. However, there are times I would like to be alone such as when I am writing a report or going through a checklist for an assignment. I do love my attendants and they like to talk but they need to realize I need to get things accomplished, and I cannot just talk all day.

I am a beta tester for the Prentke Romich Company, and last month I started another beta testing job with the Saltillo Corporation. Both companies send their newest communication devices with the latest software versions directly to my house for me to test. So I have the luxury of pretty much setting my own work schedule as long as I finish a particular project by a certain time. However, I like to start working early in the morning so I can relax on the couch and watch TV in the evening. Now I know why people say I take about after my father. Anyway, sometime my attendants think why do I have to hurry to get out of bed and start working when I have all day. Now I don’t want to sound like I am complaining because I am not, but usually my morning attendant starts to clean before she gets me up. Of course that is great and she is a fabulous attendant but time can go fast and by the time she finishes cleaning, showering me, and helping me to eat it can be eleven or twelve o’clock and half of the day is gone. I do realize she takes her job seriously by making sure my house is clean and I love her for that, but She has to realize she can clean after I get started working.

Another issue I have to deal with having attendants around while I am trying to work is sometimes they want to talk about unimportant stuff. I do very much realize the stuff they talk about is important to them, and I know they are just trying to be friendly and it is hard just to sit for hours and say nothing. However, they need to realize I need to get things done because I need to meet deadlines. Generally, almost all of the so-called experts recommend not to become friends with your attendants, and vice versa with attendants with their clients. I think everybody in this room knows it is almost impossible to prevent friendships from forming especially when we have a lot in common. I know I am repeating myself but I want everybody to know my morning attendant is great both as a friend and as an attendant. I remember telling Mike when I was writing this presentation that I don’t want Misty, my infamous morning attendant, to read this because she is going to find out sometimes I tune her out while I work. Mike can be my witness she can talk nonstop for hours and when this happens I keep working and occasionally look up and nod. I don’t want to be rude because I do consider her a friend but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

To put my job description in very simple terms, I have to try to find ways to break the devices my employers send to me free of charge. Seriously, I try to find problems and make suggestions regarding how to improve the functionally before the devices go on the market. There are times I do my job of breaking the device so well sometimes I need my attendant’s help to undo what I did. This could be as simple as just resetting the device, or sometimes I have to reload the entire software that involves inserting disks and entering passwords. Obviously you can see I can’t use my hands so I can’t insert disks and during the process of reloading. In addition, I can’t use my tracker dot to enter the passwords and other information during the installation process because the Tracker isn’t activated yet. So since I can’t do it myself I have to tell my attendant which disk to insert and when, the correct installation options to choose, and the required passwords. At times like these I am very grateful to have my attendants with me and they are willing to help me with my job.

It is a fact of my life, and it is a fact of many of your lives, that I am going to need attendants for as long as I am on this earth. While I am on this earth, it is my plan to be an active member of society by working. So I have to figure out ways these two things can coexist with little conflict as possible. I think I have been successful with managing both my attendant care and my career, but I know this is an ongoing process and tomorrow something might happen that I haven’t thought about happening. If that is the case I have to sharpen the sword and treat it as the beautiful and volatile instrument it is.