Adoring Fan
Not feeling much like blogging. For some reason. But for you I will make an effort. Thank me later.
Had a meeting with my social worker today. Talked about how things are going. And what is going to happen in the future. Some things came up, but nothing too important. I’ll cover them when I get there.
We also talked a little about how it was going at the playground. My work there. I used to be just a substitute, but I now have fixed workdays. Granted, it’s only every other Saturday. So it’s not a lot of days. But it still feels kinda good to have been upgraded to a permanent position. And hopefully I’ll still get more substitute days , cause I like the work. If only I could have a fulltime job lulling around, taking care of the animals there. That’d be grand.
I also seem to have gotten myself a fan. Remember that garage sale thing, where I bought a stuffed animal to be nice to the kids? One of them has been practically following me around. Haha. He’s a nice boy. He’s very open and talkative. On Friday he followed me when I went shopping in Favorit, after I had been at the playground. And I actually think he was going to follow me home. Oddness. I had to stop. We were back at the playground after leaving Favorit. And I told him that he’d better stay there. And he just said ok. I’m not sure where he’d gotten the idea that he was going to follow me home. Or what he was exactly planning, if he was just going to follow me there and then go back to the playground or if he wanted me to show him my house or something. Hah. It was a little creepy really. But like I said, he’s a nice boy. Very open. We were standing in line in Favorit and he just started talking to the people behind us. Commenting on the stuff they were buying. I think that either he is a bit lonely or maybe he doesn’t have a good understanding of other people’s personal space. But anyway. If he’s lonely then I’d be happy to talk to him. As long as he doesn’t follow me home.
His parents probably wouldn’t be too happy with that either. “Where were you son?”. “Oh I went home with a weird stranger”. Oh yes. That would certainly do wonders for my reputation in the local community.
Actually one of the things I like most about working at the playground in weekends is the community aspect. Having people come by. A mother with her daughter, asking me if it was okay for them to go around and look at the animals. I get to have a certain, if slight, status. And they get to know me. I almost feel.. popular. People like me. What an odd feeling. And yes, I know it’s only the playground etc etc. But small steps are better than standing still.
There was a couple of girls who came in and looked at the bunnies while I was changing their water. One of them went from cage to cage and everytime she’d say “ooh this one is so cute” then to the next cage “ooh this one is the cutest” and then the next “ooh this one is cuter” and so on. Very sweet. And they were sticking carrots in to the bunnies. “You feed this one” “No feed that one” “can you feed that one then I feed this one”. It is so cute and twee that I almost feel like painting it all purple.
I think that is about all for today. Have I mentioned that I have a meeting with my therapist on Friday? I skipped my appointment during The Bad Time and ignored her calls. But now I’m going back. And I’ll talk to their doc too. Plus we’re going to see if I can get some help with the house hunting. It’s a little depressing to think back and remember that I was planning to move out in January or something like that. Things have not exactly gone perfectly. But now things seem to be happening again and my depression is slightly diminishing so maybe who knows it could happen stranger things happen at sea etc. If I don’t have my own place by January next year then someone please kidnap me and board me up in a shack in the woods. With a cat.
Alritey. Desiree, if the video is under 300mb then I suggest uploading it to http://rapidshare.de. It is free and easy and you can let others download it and marvel at the beauty. The pictures are still great though. No doubt.
Murder.
That’s all she wrote.
August 28th, 2006 at 22:35
Good luck with everything! I also have a meeting with my therapist on Friday. I wonder, do kids and students start learning from September 1st in Denmark too? it will certainly feel like going to a school this Friday… a school of life. and my therapist does look a lot like a teacher, now that I think about it :D
Akuna matata :)
August 28th, 2006 at 23:15
Oh, I shouldn’t think we’d want to board you up in a shack. I could paint the outside for you and you’d have to have a small window for the cat to look out. And if it’s in the woods, you could have a little goat pen and a few lively goats to tend & maybe a silly sheep or two.
You’re like the “Pied Piper” with having stray cats and wee children following you home. I don’t know which is worse, children growing up to be afraid of all strangers or kids who are too friendly with everyone. Has to be some middle ground there, I think. He’s probably just lonely and you paid some attention to him. Lots of lonely people (& animals) out there, Plume.
Congrats on being on the playground schedule regularly. It is a nice feeling to be around animals and to be able to answer questions about them, etc. It’s funny how the things we fear the most are the ones that confront us. The social phobic not only leaves his house, he travels to the playground, takes care of animals, and TALKS to people about the animals! It’s a great “small step” & you should pat yourself on the back.
Questions: Do you talk to the playground animals in Danish?? If I talked to them in English, would they understand me? Or would Danish goats be able to talk to English goats? (The things I think of while I’m painting!)
August 29th, 2006 at 1:11
I like the idea that you’re setting a goal to find a place of your own. Even if it’s a small place, it’s all yours. And I’m sure you’ll be able to have a cat to share it with.
I remember my first place. It was so small I could touch the front door to the back wall of my kitchen. Man, you learn to use every space available and you get rid of things you don’t need. So good luck with that.
Also, repeating Deb’s question: Do you speak to the goats, etc, in Danish or in English? I know you know French. Do you speak to them in French?
That’s an interestng question, Deb. Now, you’ve got me thinking.
August 29th, 2006 at 12:10
Milla Vanilla – I think the Danish students come back from vacation earlier than September 1st. I think it’s somewhere in the middle of August. A month and a half of vacation. Oh boy I need to go back to school! My therapist could pass for a teacher too, I think. But apart from that she’s alright :-P
Deb – I would like a little household of naughty goats and silly sheep and adorable kittens. Sounds good to me.
Pied piper. You know I had the exact same thought when it happened. Also because I happened to be listening to Radiohead on my mp3player. Kid A goes “Rats and children follow me out of town”.
I am happy if I can bring a little positive influence to the kid’s lives. Any little thing. I know that would have meant a lot to me when I was a kid myself.
Consider my back patted. Who knew that humans could be nice to be around too hehe.
I do indeed talk to the animals in Danish. I’m pretty sure they’d understand English too though. As long as you put your feelings into the words. And I am very sure that English and Danish goats could communicate, otherwise how would they share the meaning of life?!
Luis – I shall definitely be having a cat. I’m not going to move to a place where pets aren’t allowed. No way, no how.
Hmm maybe I should try the French. Hehe. It would certainly lend me an air of eccentricity.
I am not much of a talker, though. Even with the animals. I kinda talk to them with my hands. Scratching, itching, stroking etc. If that makes sense. But I’m trying to talk more, it’s a good practice for socializing with humans too. Getting used to talking out loud.
I like when you guys bring up questions like this!
August 29th, 2006 at 23:21
Your goats could talk to my goats because they have a universal instinctive languge (they would recognize each other as the same species) and because they all know the meaning of life.
I looked up “Language” in Ask.com – just the encyclopedia definition. I think I am more confused now than before. There are some interesting links about “Animal communication” and how it differs from human communication. And it is hard to actually pin down a good definition of “human language”. Mainly human versus animal language differs in that humans have the ability to have concepts in their language where as scientists don’t think animals do. (But if you read enough on this, there are all kinds of differing opinions on animal communication).
When I’m taming our newborn barn cats (outside cats), I talk to them all the time. It doesn’t really matter what I say, I just talk. At first they seem to flinch, almost like they can feel the words. Later on, when I talk to them during feeding time, they don’t cringe as much. I move closer and closer to them until I can pet them. They won’t make eye contact yet with me. Eventually they will let me pet them, pick them up, and even make eye contact with me even during times I’m not feeding them. I call “Kitty, kitty” and they will come running.
Animals pick up on non-verbal clues, too. Plume, I’m sure when the playground horses see you carrying a bucket, they have learned to associate the bucket with food, even if you don’t call for them. And all the petting, scratches, etc., are good non-verbal clues to the animals that good things happen during this time. I have probably spent way too much time thinking about this today. But it makes you stop and think: “How do I communicate with my cat or my goat?”
August 30th, 2006 at 21:43
Deb – Language is an interesting thing. Also, always my favourite subject in school. English and French, that was where I had my greatest moments. I also find the animal/human communication thing fascinating. Dolphins, apes. I oughta read up on that sometime.
Your barn cats remind me of my experience with Mathilde. You’re relatively “new” to my diary/blog, I think. I’m not sure if you know the whole story. I have probably mentioned it. Anyway, when I first met her she was very shy. She wasn’t brought up like Magnethe and the new batch of kids, with a lot of touching and handling by humans. So when I met her she wouldn’t let people get too close. But I spent a lot of time with her. And I did the feeding trick too. Goats love food hehe. So I was able to touch her while she ate from my hand and eventually she felt safe around me. And by the end she wasn’t shy at all, even with other people. Damn I miss her..