Thursday, June 18, 2009

Rude Guy


I was asked if I was willing to take on a new client one with a reputation for being difficult. He had managed to alienate everyone including my care bear of a supervisor when she visited him by telling her he didn’t want her assigned to his case he wanted someone younger. “He asked for a young, smart, funny social worker and he wants them to visit him twice a week.” “And naturally you thought of me.” I joked. My official unofficial supervisor shrugged her shoulders. “No one wants him huh?” I asked. “No” she said and added that if he rubbed me the wrong way I could turn him down as well. “You know this guy” she said, “he’s the one who would call for the other intern and hang up on us the minute we’d tell him she wasn’t here.” “Oh the rude guy!” I replied. “Yeah him.”


Knowing who he was and who his social worker had been made his list of requirements in a social worker understandable to me. His last social worker unlike me had been tall, model thin, leggy, blonde and had boobs that would cause many an insecure woman to weep with envy. Her flirtatious personality combined with her sexy wardrobe made men stand up and take notice. I looked at myself in the mirror… dark jeans, black Reeboks, t-shirt, auburn curls pulled back into a pony tail and no make-up. I stifled a giggle; I was so on the opposite end of what the client wanted in terms of a social worker. I was tomboy when what he wanted was girly fodder for some masturbation fantasy.

His face betrayed no emotion when the correctional officer brought him in to meet me. If he was disappointed with what he saw he kept it well hidden. I laid my cards on the table. “First off the bat I’m not Burger King I don’t do things your way. I don’t visit twice a week, once a week is all you’ll get from me. Number two, I’m here to help you and I don’t take no shit so don’t give me any and you and me we’ll be fine. Got it?” He smiled and nodded his head.

The rest of our visit went smoothly I managed to make him laugh a few times and the conversation flowed freely. I even managed to reprimand him for being rude to the other social workers who had visited him. When our visit was almost over I let him know that I wouldn’t be visiting him the following week because I was taking the week off. “If you need anything call the office and they will hook you up. Oh and don’t hang up on them just because I’m not there….I will hear about it. You got it rude guy?” He laughed and replied that he’d understood all I’d said and was ready to go by my rules. “Good boy,” I said and pointed to myself, “Alright then, my name’s Mia and I’ll be your social worker.” which for some reason caused him to burst out into laughter.

Labels: internship

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