Saturday, March 12, 2016

The latest in Disaster Preparedness: coffee helps!

The RantWoman school of Disaster Preparedness runs heavily toward make things work better on a day-to-day basis so there are reserves for when disaster strikes.

Today's lessons, from an event RantWoman recently participate in are:

--Find a way to be grateful, even when ya don' wanna and don't think there's any way no way no how. See below. Wait a second: RantWoman IS glad she went and IS glad to hear many things. RantWoman heard LOTS of voices in tune with experiences RantWoman considers important. RantWoman heard lots of helpful, informed, and informative. And then there are the don' wanna no way no how parts below!

--Speak up as soon as possible while everyone is warm and dry and calm and the lights are on to plant seeds for the future when conditions might be otherwise.

Item 1: It's a good thing, by the time the Grab the Blind Person and Bless Them or at least move them aside Moments happened,  RantWoman was well caffeinated AND had enjoyed a pleasant pastry.

It's a good thing RantWoman and Ambassador Thwack had already blown off a bit of steam. On the way from the Light Rail to the event, RantWoman and Ambassador Thwack kept nearly tripping a lad who obviously just had his ears in his phone. Finally, the lad turned around and RantWoman  glowerd "Do you understand that I carry this thing because I do not see well?"

Thank you so much lad for scurrying several yards of RantWoman before resuming his pace. THANK YOU for requiring RantWoman to blow off steam and chill out over a cup of coffee..

Item 2: Thank you also to official sounding guy in official looking white shirt for offering RantWoman not one but TWO opportunities for prophylactic conflict resolution BEFORE the disaster strikes. At least RantWoman thinks it was the same guy but RantWoman cannot interact much with facial detail nor nametags.

Problem a: the word "obstructing." Said, at an event ABOUT people with disabilities andexplicitly INCLUDING people with disabilities, who somehow are not to "Obstruct" whatever the flow of things is.

voice in back of RantWoman's head: "Yeah but people with disabilities, wheelchairs, walkers, poorly managed service animals DO sometimes obstruct paths, doorways, bus aisles. Why Today, this very afternoon, Ambassador Thwack nearly tripped someone on the bus because you did not collapse him and he fell into the aisle..."

Yeah, but....

Item b: Not one but TWO spectacular moments of grab the blind person and bless them. RantWoman was talking with a deaf person, that is trying to focus on the Deaf person and listening to ASL interpretation. Official sounding guy in official looking white shirt TWICE just moved RantWoman aside so he could get past. No excuse me. No tapping on shoulder to get attention. No waiting until the conversation was done. RantWoman does not remember the exact source the push and is VERY glad she was relaxed and it was not a stronger push.  But then there was more moving around and it happened AGAIN.

Official Sounding Guy's official looking white shirt is probably the only thing that spared him from a RantWoman reflex that runs heavily toward "Get your hands off me before I have you charged with assault!"

Official sounding guy in official looking white shirt is also lucky RantWoman cared more about paying attention to her conversation than calling him out. Now RantWoman gets to see if the cloud of steam in her head can clear enough to have a civil conversation, or at least a politer email!

Stay Tuned

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