Weird

Sometimes I just want to unload, but then I have to think about "my witness". 

Am I showing the love of Christ?  Acting in a way that makes Him happy?  Showing respect to those He created? 

We're not hiring.  However, if we were we would need certain abilities:

• Able to drive
• Owns reliable vehicle
• Able to do heavy lifting
• Able to walk long distances unassisted.
• Able to push Ron in wheelchair as needed
• Able to pull fully loaded hand cart. 
• Complete and utter honesty
• Able to turn off cell phone while working. 
• Able to climb under or behind vending machines as needed

These are just the "off to top of my head" requirements.  I'm sure we have more. 

That's why I find it frustrating when we meet a person with a disability, or someone who interacts with them (a driver) and they assume "Oh, you are blind.  So am I.  You'll hire me."  One driver actually told another client, a very immature young woman, "Oh, these are the people I told you about.  Ron will give you a job."  No, we said, and they were both shocked. 

Sorry.  The old boys club doesn't work at my house.  If we are hiring, we're going to get a sighted person.  One who can drive.  One who can turn off that cell phone and leave the drama at home.  Not someone who, upon being introduced to a possible employer, talks about how "My last employer sold the business, and the new people just kept who they wanted." 

Someone with persecution issues will probably make a terrible employee.  Not to mention, I assure you he would not have been able to do those job duties. 

Today we met a disabled couple at Walmart.  I'm not going to share the disability.  Suffice to say, when they heard about our business, they assumed Ron would hire the husband, who was so unfairly persecuted when the former owner sold the business.  That's a huge red flag right there. 

They also just assumed Ron would want a disabled person - our line of work requires the ability to use your eyes, both arms, and legs.  The ability to drive.  They did not have that. 

I would have no problem hiring a deaf person and I think they'd do a great job.  I'm not against all disabilities.  We just need someone who'd be useful.

Ron told them he wasn't hiring, business was bad.  They left it alone but I could tell they had "noted" us as possible contact.  We are not a tool to put in your phone book and pester for a job, now and then. 

I think I will tell Ron to say "We need someone who can drive".  That would have ended it.   I will suggest that when he wakes up. 

So, later on, the wife told me they were on section 8 housing and whined about not liking the apartment.  She asked me where we lived, I said a couple miles from here.  She asked if it was an apartment and I said, no, it's a house. 

She asked me what program we used.  I said, we didn't.  We cleaned up our credit and we had a down payment.  Oh, she said.  She wanted a house.  Who could she contact to get a house (through some special program)?  I told her I had no idea and she finally left me alone. 

If you are very low income and both you and your husband unemployed, I assure you no one will give you a house.  Maybe Habitat for Humanity.  But it's no one's job to give you a house because you don't like your free apartment. 

I was getting really sick of the conversation by now.  It was just a constant stream of gimmie, gimmie, gimmie. 

Ron and I work hard to earn what we have.  We live off one disability check and the profits from our business.  We take care of each other and find the idea of "begging" abhorrent. 

I guess we're weird.