This one won’t be original.
I know that’s a massive shock to the literal some (or more) of you who have come to expect thoughtful wit and endless variety from this blog and have only regularly been disappointed, but to tell the truth, at the moment, there’s only one game in town.
You see, as my Wúnderwifey, Tina, outlined in her blog post (which you can read HERE), last week saw her successfully navigate an interview to work in the NHS.
And I couldn’t be prouder.
So, this week, you gain a different perspective on this new and exciting chapter in our (but mainly Tina’s) life. Aren’t you just the lucky ones?
Waiting Is
Obviously my point of view is one remove from Tina’s. As close as we are to living in each other’s heads (to the point of spontaneous renditions of the same slightly rude songs in unison), and as much as I know her as well as anyone I ever have, I couldn’t and wouldn’t deem to speak for her, or claim to fully understand the sea of emotion the last couple of weeks have provided.
I do know how much this opportunity means to her, and I saw the amount of work she put into preparing for last Tuesday’s interview. So, as I dropped her off and headed to a local coffee shop to wait out the hour or so she was being grilled, I had every confidence that she would put forward a fantastic case and leave a tremendous impression with her interviewers. After that, of course the whole thing would be in the lap of the gods but, as long as you’ve done your very best, then there’s nothing else left to do. (I believe bribery is frowned upon these days)
She would hear back with a decision that afternoon, Tina was told, so off we popped to a lovely pub (The Blacksmith’s Arms in Kirkheaton) for a spot of lunch and a well deserved pudding (well deserved for Tina, that is. I was just leeching), with Tina’s phone on maximum volume, and a growing sense of nervous expectation gnawing away at us. In true ‘and the winner is’ style, that afternoon was prolonged for what seemed an unnecessarily cruel time, until, at five thirty, the phone call arrived to tell us Tina had been successful.
On Form(s)
Now, I know I said I wouldn’t talk for Tina, but her absolute delight didn’t need any kind of special understanding or psychic powers to pick up. The whooping was a big clue, as was the giddy rendition of ‘I’ve got a job’ (thankfully, she refrained from and ‘and you haven’t’), and that initiated a whirlwind week of celebration (it was Tina’s birthday on Sunday as well, so double celebrations) and a solid ream of paperwork (alright it’s digital these days, but that doesn’t really help with the imagery).
The NHS is, you see, on top of being a much cherished and, in my opinion, much scapegoated organisation—one without which I and thousands others would very possibly not be here, is a megalith of an employer. Possibly due to its size, age, or top heavy management structure (again; my opinion), there’s a lot of admin to go through when taking on a role within it.
She would hear back with a decision that afternoon, Tina was told, so off we popped to a lovely pub (The Blacksmith’s Arms in Kirkheaton) for a spot of lunch and a well deserved pudding (well deserved for Tina, that is. I was just leeching), with Tina’s phone on maximum volume, and a growing sense of nervous expectation gnawing away at us. In true ‘and the winner is’ style, that afternoon was prolonged for what seemed an unnecessarily cruel time, until, at five thirty, the phone call arrived to tell us Tina had been successful.
On Form(s)
Now, I know I said I wouldn’t talk for Tina, but her absolute delight didn’t need any kind of special understanding or psychic powers to pick up. The whooping was a big clue, as was the giddy rendition of ‘I’ve got a job’ (thankfully, she refrained from and ‘and you haven’t’), and that initiated a whirlwind week of celebration (it was Tina’s birthday on Sunday as well, so double celebrations) and a solid ream of paperwork (alright it’s digital these days, but that doesn’t really help with the imagery).
The NHS is, you see, on top of being a much cherished and, in my opinion, much scapegoated organisation—one without which I and thousands others would very possibly not be here, is a megalith of an employer. Possibly due to its size, age, or top heavy management structure (again; my opinion), there’s a lot of admin to go through when taking on a role within it.
Most of this is for filling, although Tina does have a face-to-face meeting with the NHS trust in Wakefield for ‘pre-registration’, and to provide, among other things, proof of identity. In order to comply fully with this Tina has had to order a new birth certificate (one of the forms of proof required) but luckily, after nearly being charged £88, we found a cheaper route to get hold of this quickly through the .Gov website.
Role Play
And that’s the situation at the moment. A game of waiting and filling out forms. It will pass, I know and it won’t be too long before that first day of training arrives and we have something else to celebrate. Until then, I guess it’s important to hold on to that initial excitement, and remember that however much of a pain in the posterior the admin may be, a role that uses Tina’s practical experience of dealing with trauma and mental health lies at the end of it—A role she can use that lived experience, along with her empathy, generosity of spirit, and loving, supportive personality to help countless people to defeat the demons that haunt them.
Like I said, I couldn’t be prouder.
Until next time…
#
Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologies. I’d love to know what you think
New Tales Of Old
Death Ship
Pestilence: Drabbles 1
Reaperman: Drabbles 3
The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu
Eldritch Investigations
Role Play
And that’s the situation at the moment. A game of waiting and filling out forms. It will pass, I know and it won’t be too long before that first day of training arrives and we have something else to celebrate. Until then, I guess it’s important to hold on to that initial excitement, and remember that however much of a pain in the posterior the admin may be, a role that uses Tina’s practical experience of dealing with trauma and mental health lies at the end of it—A role she can use that lived experience, along with her empathy, generosity of spirit, and loving, supportive personality to help countless people to defeat the demons that haunt them.
Like I said, I couldn’t be prouder.
Until next time…
#
Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologies. I’d love to know what you think
New Tales Of Old
Death Ship
Pestilence: Drabbles 1
Reaperman: Drabbles 3
The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu
Eldritch Investigations
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