Old people

There's something about some old people, certainly not all, that is really abrasive. There's a rigidity, a lack of flexibility, in one of the women who works at the hostel. I once commented at how many mothers a girl scout troop had brought (there were 9 scouts and 7 chaperones) and she went off on why there were no fathers there and the disintegration of family values and that's why there is crime and murders, because children need two parents. It's selfishness, that's what it is, that make people divorce. I think the girl scouts heard her, because she is rather louder than I am. I am not sure fathers are welcome as overnight chaperones for girl scouts, but I did not want to get into whatever rant might ensue if I mentioned that. I mean, at least not in front of the girl scouts.

Why can't she just be nice? I can hear that she has cornered someone in the kitchen and is explaining about the free food we get donated on fridays. "Santa Cruz is a very expensive town, so we have a number of poor people. They go to the shelters and the churches and the hostel to get free food." "Oh, homeless people come to the hostel?" the guest asks. "That's why we always keep the doors locked, and ask our guests to do the same. The food is only for registered guests. If we just had these patio doors open they'd learn there was free food and they'd come right in." the guest offers "they do what the have to to survive" and my coworker responds with "By taking what doesn't belong to them. Eat that pineapple, we just got it yesterday." and she launches into a speech about how disgraceful wasting food is.


OTOH she certainly can empty a room. The kitchen closes at 10:30 and it was completely empty at 10:35, whereas I will stand there for 15 minutes "The kitchen is closed now. I mean, of course you can grab toast, but can you tidy up after? Yes, let me find you some juice. The kitchen is closed."