Now that the boys are moved out, they qualify for SSI benefits. This income supplements the Regional Center's efforts to cover the cost of placement.
What it requires is quite a bit of wrestling with the paper tiger. (Think I already mentioned that. I did handle the registration online but you still need to have a face to face appointment to prove your identity).
What I DIDN'T know is that it could get me shanked in the waiting room before my final appointment!
Scene : the waiting room at my local Social Security office. The room is FILLED to capacity with crying children, senior citizens, and people of every shape, size, color and smell. Notices cover every bare space warning everyone NOT to be texting, phoning, taking pictures or letting your children disturb the displays of pamphlets.
Two computer kiosks sit in opposite corners waiting for everyone who walks in to use the touch screen to check in and take a number. The huge signs at the entrance directing everyone to use the computer kiosks are largely ignored and therefore there are people backed up against the walls, 3 deep, with beleagered looks on their faces wondering what to do. Once I stride over and poke at the screen, get my ticket and look for a seat, three or four others' faces brighten and they quickly ask me...."is THAT what you are supposed to do"? and proceed to get their tickets.
Every few minutes someone shouts over the intercom a number and the window that the next victim is supposed to use. These numbers get broadcast over and over and over and over again in different languages since this is always everyone's first visit to the office and they don't know what to do or they don't understand the language.
The funniest announcement was when the lady on the intercom pointed out that all of this waiting around can be avoided by logging on to the web site and registering online. The crazy thing about that is that NO ONE in that entire room looked even remotely computer literate.
I took my seat squeezed next to an older gentleman and a sweet looking little old lady. To my left are some tough looking kids, a boy and a girl. Then the fun started.
The old gentleman started to chat with the little lady and somehow the subject turned to politics.....yikes.
Turns out that the little old lady was one of the "lifers". You know. The people who still don't believe that Obama is a natural born citizen. Jeepers.....people.
Well, once the kids to my left heard the criticisms of Obama start....THEY started. Rebutting her remarks under their breath and using rather colorful adjectives and interesting similes. Adding new commentary even though it was OBVIOUS that the little lady couldn't hear a word they were saying. She just kept chirping along with her complaints about no jobs....no money....and how it was Obama's fault and how the only way to get him out of office was to impeach him, etc.
The language was getting spicier and spicier from the young political geniuses in the corner and I was happy to ignore their amazingly obtuse and ridiculous language UNTIL.....they started calling the little lady names.
I am a champion for all debate. I don't care what people believe, I think it is respectful to let everyone have their take. When people start attacking others, it's over. So.... I very politely, nicely, sweetly, sanely and in my best I- am- Switzerland- in -this-debate-voice...suggested that ...."hey....you don't have to call people names".
Whoah nellie. That was a mistake. I had just hopped on the train to crazy-land and those kids were going full steam ahead. They both got their dander INSTANTLY up and their eyes started to bulge. I tried to explain that I would be defending them the same if someone were to start attacking them but no matter. I got the hand up in the face and the "oh no you di-ahnt" coming at me fasted than crap through a goose.
Can't repeat what they said and it was obvious in less than 10 seconds that I was NOT dealing with rational humans. Even though I was in a crowd of people...I did not feel safe.
So. I did the safest thing I could do. I put my head down and started playing "Text Twist" and pretended to be deaf. It was my only defense.
Smart move too because even though the kids kept spewing vile sweetness into my left ear, they got bored and lost interest after 10 minutes.
Whew.
Crisis averted.
THANK the maker that my name was called 13 minutes later and I got to leave for the protection of the inner sanctum of the office.
I left with my body parts intact and a very important lesson learned.
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