A conversation and all the underlying needs…..

I was enjoying the autumn sun last week when one of the placements came over to sit with me for a while. We discussed his love of tea and how he enjoyed making the various blends to share with his family and the times when he just sits on his own with a pot of tea to contemplate the world.

We chatted about a variety of things, music, politics, sport. It was easy to see that he was trying to tell me something that was of importance to him, so the conversation kept winding its way to the one item he wanted to talk about.

It seems that the workers compensation process requires him to attend another location on a particular day: he understood the reasons why the other appointment was required and he understood that nothing could be done in order to shift the other appointment: none of that was concerning him.

What was concerning him was the day of the other appointment was on a day that he should be at Craig’s Table. 

A day when he would normally get to get up in the morning, and be “normal”, he could have his breakfast and get dressed in his Craig’s Table t-shirt and be a part of the team. 

A day when he could catch up with his mates and share a joke.

A day when he didn’t need to answer questions about his capacity.

A day where the most important thing was who’s turn it was to collect the eggs and to water the garden.

A day when he could just be himself and offer support to the newbe’s in the same manner that was offered to him.

I assured him that if he wanted to; he could make up the time, come in an extra day; all that was possible just to resettle the balance.

What he said then was not a surprise to me.
“Coming here to Craig’s Table gives me a reason to want to get out of bed, it gives me a place to belong and mates to hang out with, they (the system) doesn’t understand how this (Craig’s Table) is helping me to get better.

In a nutshell, this person was already feeling the pull of anxiety weeks before an external appointment and he was already feeling the intrusion into his wellness routine.
It was important that a way be found for him to retain his sense of being and of belonging. 

All that was needed was for another member of his team to step forward with a phone number for him to be able to call, and then another stepped forward; it was only a few moments before a series of numbers was in place along with my number.

This man had found his feet and he had found the strength that is Craig’s Table, he found that even when he is not able to be physically present, he is still “family”.

Yours in service
Rosemary

www.craigstable.net.au
rosemary@craigstable.net.au
SKYPE Rosemary2412
May 6^th 2019