Welcome Old Mark

[Never]

Welcome to the Heathen Hangout. It's really great to see you've already made a post. Tell us a bit about yourself if you'd like.

[Gurdur]

Welcome, Old Mark!

[Seeker630]

Originally Posted by Never

Welcome to the Heathen Hangout. It's really great to see you've already made a post. Tell us a bit about yourself if you'd like.

OK where is the post he made? I tried using the search thingy to find his name and it's not finding him. I've had this problem before with search in vBulletin.



ETA------------I found him by going to his profile in the member list. But that still doesn't tell me why I couldn't find him by using search.

[old mark]

I'm in South Eastern PA, and I'm a retired social worker and AFSCME Steward who worked in a state mental hospital, an adolescent drug and alcohol treatment program and several other jobs including bar band musician for over 15 years. ( I own and play nearly 20 guitars of various types.)

I am a very left reluctant Democrat voter and a Vietnam era Army vet. I have had a license to carry a gun for over 15 years and I frequently do so. I attended Catholic school, K-12 at my parents insistance, stopped taking it seriously about age 11. I think "they" are very crazy.

I thought I would meet many like-minded anti-religious people when I started college in 1965, but evidently I was deluding myself.

Thank you for your kind welcome...Hope to make someone laugh from time to time.

mark

[AspenMama]

Hi there. Welcome to our little community.

[old mark]

When I brought this site up to sign in this morning, I mistakenly typed "Heather Hangout", which is evidently quite different.

mark

[Dawn]

Hi old mark! Welcome.

I am also a social worker with most of my experience in behavioral health until the last few years when I have been working for hospice as a bereavement counselor. I onced worked in a state mental hospital too.

ETA: I was sent to a strict religious school growing up who thought that Catholics were liberal! I think they are crazy also.

[Dawn]

Originally Posted by old mark

When I brought this site up to sign in this morning, I mistakenly typed "Heather Hangout", which is evidently quite different.

mark

Very different I would imagine!

[old mark]

Dawn, one of my SW profs worked as a death and bereavement counsellor and repeatedly told us that NO ONE she counselled ever said they regretted not having spent more time at work.

Sounds like you have a job that requires a lot of recreation time for your own well being.

Good luck with it.

mark

[Wet Walnuts]

Hi Mark, nice to have you here.

A good friend of mine is a social worker for the City of New York, and routinely tells me horror stories about his job.

I'm one of the more unusual people on this board, in that I actually come from a non-religious family.

[old mark]

Originally Posted by Wet Walnuts

Hi Mark, nice to have you here.

A good friend of mine is a social worker for the City of New York, and routinely tells me horror stories about his job.

I'm one of the more unusual people on this board, in that I actually come from a non-religious family.

Thank you, Mr. Walnuts!

I ended my stint at the hospital working with several murderers and molesters of various kinds. Taken me several years of retirement to get over it.

mark

[Wet Walnuts]

Originally Posted by old mark

Thank you, Mr. Walnuts!

I ended my stint at the hospital working with several murderers and molesters of various kinds. Taken me several years of retirement to get over it.

mark

Yeah, my four best friends are:

1. A public defender (with whom I will be working shortly)
2. A social worker
3. A mental health counselor for disturbed children
4. A parole officer

No wonder I'm so well-adjusted

[Dawn]

Originally Posted by old mark

Dawn, one of my SW profs worked as a death and bereavement counsellor and repeatedly told us that NO ONE she counselled ever said they regretted not having spent more time at work.

Sounds like you have a job that requires a lot of recreation time for your own well being.

Good luck with it.

mark

This is the irony. I work with people who are realizing the preciousness of life while needing more leisure time myself. I have a chronic illness that won't kill me, but causes pain, fatigue, tachycardia, etc. So all my available energy goes to work with the realization that I am working my life away. My quality of life sucks these days. I would like a less emotionally intense job, but live in an area of high unemployment.

I am sure you can understand the burnout factor that goes with this line of work. I actually tried to groom dogs for awhile for a change and loved it! I can't physically handle that now though. I wish I could.

[Dawn]

Originally Posted by old mark

Thank you, Mr. Walnuts!

I ended my stint at the hospital working with several murderers and molesters of various kinds. Taken me several years of retirement to get over it.

mark

I carry way too many things in my head from working with that population too. I also carry a sad realization of the many lesser ways people fail each other and themselves regularly.

I am glad you made it to retirement. I hope you can enjoy yourself and make up for some of the depressing times at work.

[old mark]

then more problems resulting in a pacemaker in '05. I finally retired in '07 on the first day it was possible to do so with a meager pension.

I have never regreted it for a moment, and it took me several years to get the crap out of my head and actually enjoy myself.

It amazes me that our society values people who work in social services so little...we are right down there with teachers and nurses...but that is a rant for another time.

It is very important that you take time for yourself and get some joy.

mark

[old mark]

I had to look up Heather Hangout on google....here's the result:


http://www.google.com/search?source=....2.3.0.1.2l9l0

Originally Posted by Dawn

Very different I would imagine!

Yes, very different, indeed....


mark