About two years ago (thereabout) before I had left the Hive, the head of training called me and asked me if I wanted to be a Field Training Officer. These are the people who take the new hires fresh out of the academy and teach them to apply what they learned in the books to life inside the fence.I had my doubts. I'm impatient sometimes. I expect people to understand what I say and follow my directions and I get a little short when they don't.
Plus, I'm just weird at times. Well, only when I'm awake.
But at the time he was short of FTO's and needed the help and I said yes, I would do it.
Then I never heard from him again.
I kind of figured he read my blog and said "Well, we don't want that lunatic training our new people! They'd get all screwed up!"
Last week I got an email from him saying he's sorry he forgot about me, but was I still interested?
Against my better judgement, I said yes again.
And once again, I never heard anything back. Figured I was probably good for another two years of peace.
The other day somebody said "Hey, I just voted for you in an email!" Ummm... What? I didn't get an email about any voting!
It seems that they sent an email out to the other FTO's with a list of the new candidates for them to recommend them or not, as they saw fit. That's why I didn't get one.
But half a dozen people have said "I voted for you." during the last week. Enough to make me a bit nervous.
Do they really think that I'm the right person to be molding the hearts and minds of the next generation of corrections officers?
That's just freaking crazy.
But then when I look at some of the real lunatics we have working here, especially the ones who have been here since Adam was on OJT, I don't look so bad in comparison.
And tomorrow (Oops, today I mean) will be my eighth year anniversary with the department.
Holy snap! Have I been doing this for eight years already? Wow.
Well, as I told the head of training in my reply, I don't always know the right things to do but I do know most of the wrong things to do and I can point out a good bunch of those. Hopefully I can impart something that will keep someone from getting hurt, and that's my main goal.
I'll do my best.
That is, if I ever hear from him again.
Tomorrow... Uh, today.... Aw, frack it. Thursday will be the National Hollerin' Contest Day. I'm fetchin' my earplugs! It will also be Bloomsday, Fudge Day and Recess At Work Day.
In case you were wondering, Bloomsday is a celebration of 'Ulysses', the novel by James Joyce. It's named after the main character, Leopold Bloom, and usually involves lots of drinking and general merriment.
Sounds like a pretty good holiday to me!
