Baby Face

I don't really have any great rants at the moment, but I figured a few of you would start asking me when my next blog post would be, so here I am.  I thought I would share a fun little story about work.

I sometimes give trainings to the new staff about what recreation therapy is and how we would like them to participate.  During my very first training, a new staff walked in late.  I was explaining a few things at the front of the classroom.  Then, we went outside to do a little recreation therapy of our own.  I did a task with them that I had done with my homes.

This task involves moving from one place to another by putting down rubber dots about 8" in diameter.  And the dot has to be touched by a person at all times or else the dot is taken away.  And as people forget to touch the dots, the numbers of dots dwindle.  It's a really great team-building and communication exercise.  And there are lots of other great things that one can learn from this.  Being aware of one's surroundings is really good too.

Anyway, after we did the task, we talked about how the group of new staff had to work together.  They processed some good stuff, and then we went back into the classroom to finish up my training.  I asked if anyone had any other questions.

The girl who came in late asked, "So what's your background in?"

I'm going to be honest, I always think people are dumb when they ask me this when they know that I am a recreation therapist.  But I thought that maybe she wanted to know how I was qualified to work in a treatment center.

I explained that I had worked at the very same treatment center while I was going to college, studying recreation therapy.  And I did my internship at a different treatment center and worked there for a little while before the position opened up at my current treatment center. So, I had a little over two years experience in the RTC setting.

Then she followed up with, "Oh, you just don't look old enough to work here."

Seriously?!

I don't even look 21?!  (That's the age you have to be to work here, by the way.)

How do I not look older than 20?  Look at those wrinkles. 
And squinty eyes.  Obviously my eyesight is going because of age.
Also, I totally have an old lady knee.
The teeth are real though.

You'd think I would just get used to it, but no.  Every time someone thinks that I'm a baby, I am surprised, and I want to punch something.  But hey, sometimes it gets me free ice cream.