What I would call church: Tramping along behind Aaron, starring into tide-pools- eyes wide- as an entire world reveals itself in the pooled remnants of crashed waves: bullwhip kelp, sea anemone, hermit crabs, snails, crimson and purple starfish, egrets, seagulls, oyster catchers with tangerine beaks and amber ringed eyes. Aaron calls out scientific names and describes systems and life cycles while I squeal at the sticky tentacles harpooning my finger as the oral disc of an anemone closes. Life. Ineffable. Holy. Silly. Unexpected.
Dorothy's can be a high stress environment because of the struggles and reality of life on the street, of trauma, of exhaustion, of the lack of ability to control ones environment/situation. The people I've met have quickly become friends whose well-being and community I care about. I have been thinking about my work in the day room and what it means to interact with someone in a way that empowers and brings dignity.
