Gotta get this off my chest, cause its kinda annoying the shit outta me.
I was at work tonight, delivering supper (ie. biscuits, sandwiches and tea/coffee) to the oldies. So as I was wandering around with my uber sexy little black tea trolley, I was also listening to the various trashy shows the residents watch. The last guy I had to see, Mr Black Coffee with 3 sugars and a plate of sandwiches (yeah, I could pretty much tell you every residents supper order if I had to) was watching the news.
Anyway, as I was pouring his coffee a report about the Sydney Mardi Gras came on. I nearly dropped his cup when the usually quiet guy suddenly came out with a rather venomous little comment of 'Bloody poofs... They should all be round up and shot.'
Hearing him say that really threw me, not that I showed him any outward reaction. I just handed him his coffee and left.
I'm not really sure what the ideal way to deal with that little situation is, but I said nothing and just waited till I got home and asked Mum about it.
Her answer was something along the lines of, You're in his home... in his bedroom. He can say what he wants. And besides, he's old and probably doesn't have the mental capacity to understand what he's saying.
That really irked me, I have no intention of turning this into a witch hunt over one little comment. But really? They're going to hide behind that as an excuse?
Yes, the nursing home is effectively his house. So what, all the staff have to put up with bad behaviour because it's their house? Yeah right...
I'm not gonna do anything about it this time, afterall I don't think he meant to offend me and unless he finds out that I'm one of those 'bloody poofs' I don't think it'll ever be an issue.
However if it does, I guess I'll just be refusing to come into contact with him. Afterall, if someone abused me, I wouldn't hang around at their house and put myself in harms way for the sake of a coffee.
I'm also fucking tired, so its bedtime for me. Got yet another early day ahead of me tomorrow...
Night all
Nelo
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In addition to the fact that it's "his house," it's also the fact that you're not in his bedroom on a social visit. You are there as part of your job.
ReplyDeleteA doctor can't refuse to treat homophobes; a bus driver can't refuse to pick up homophobes. You can't refuse to bring sandwiches and coffee to homophobes.
I would say what you did was the right thing to do. There is no point in confronting the issue. At his age you are not going to change his mind. Some will say I'm wrong, but some situations are best just left as is, you may stick even more fuel to the fire which will make it worse. In this situation ignorance is bliss, what the eye doesn't see the heart doesn't grieve.
ReplyDeleteA doctor can refuse to see a patient and a bus driver can refuse to allow a passenger to board his bus with reason. As can I refuse to place myself in a situation which makes me feel unsafe.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it would be possible to change his mind Kemptoo, but given that he's hooked up to oxygen 24/7 I doubt theres much point. But yes, confronting him (or management) about the issue would do little except make me look like a dickhead.