Unpredictable side

Unpredictable side
I was in the Shelter office, on hold for the Producer of a local morning TV news magazine.
Fairly new to working in an Emergency Shelter, I thought that it’d be a great idea to demystify Shelter life by inviting the crew over to tape a segment from our location.

While listening to generic “hold” music I looked out in the lobby, thinking about where the cameras could set up. Privacy, always important to preserve, could be maintained by placing a camera where Shelter guests could be in front of it, or easily avoid it, whichever they chose. The front desk had the appearance of a very clean, inexpensive hotel, perhaps over there…

Everyone I’d met, both staff and guests, were friendly, regular folks, some of whom happened to be down on their luck. As “hold” time continued, a muttering outside the office became louder. Unconcerned, I continued to consider the storyline of normalcy and safety. The muttering outside the office escalated to a single voice shouting loudly, before the young woman responsible went outside. Somewhat fortunately, “hold” went on still longer, and I disconnected, to try another day.

I was seeing the sometimes unpredictable side of Shelter life.
This lovely young woman was muttering to the voices that spoke to her in her illness, an illness made worse by the drugs that had eaten at her brain. She left us shortly after that, back to the hospital.