Beginning Again

Sam goes back to work tomorrow. This will be for the first time in exactly three months. I have very mixed feelings about this.

On the one hand, I’m thrilled he still has a job. I’m especially thrilled he still has this job. His co-workers - and his supervisor in particular, have always treated him very thoughtfully.

But since Sam is a town employee, and with things being as they are, I figured (feared) budget cuts were on the horizon - which will eventually translate into layoffs. So far, Sam seems to have escaped unscathed. We’ll see how it is when fall approaches but for now, “one day at a time” … and all that. (This obviously goes entirely against my nature, but it sounds pretty good.)

When he goes back, Sam will be working in the school's Summer Meals Program. In the last couple of years (meaning, the entire time Sam has had a job), this transition to the Summer Meals Program has presented some challenges for Sam. In the summer, the job requirements change and are quite a bit different than what they are during the regular school year. Making this transition is not something Sam excels at. Add to this that, in years past, it sounds as if making this transition isn’t something his coworkers are particularly good at, either.

Because of this, in those past years, they’ve delayed Sam's summer start date by a week. This was done so everyone could get their act together - thus making it slightly less traumatic for Sam (ref: the "thoughtfully" remark above). This year, there’s no real transition to make - at least, not in that regard. With the school closures, this program has been up and running for the last three months, starting when the pandemic was being taken seriously and carrying through to the now-ending regular school year.

In theory, all the kinks have been worked out. For Sam, the only major difference will then be (along with going back to work) that the program will not be run out of the usual (for him) High School, but rather, an entirely different school in town. Not sure why this is, but it is (what it is).

Also on the plus side, Sam’s hours will be summer hours - which is considerably less than his regular school year hours. This means less time to freak-out at work and more time to unwind at home. Hopefully, this will help in smoothing over any bumps on the road back to a routine.

On the downside of all of this is that COVID-19 has yet to be history (if indeed it ever will be). I’m not thrilled with Sam being out in this, but if he has to out there, I guess this is about as safe an environment for him that it can be.

This summer meals program pre-bags meals for kids (I'm told as many as eight thousand meals per day) which then get distributed to different drop-points around town. Sam and several "lunch ladies" will be working on the bagging of the lunches- not on any drop-offs.

He and his Lunch Ladies are all in a self-contained room - unlike his/their so-called "normal" cafeteria setup. There won't be people coming and going all day long. There are no long lines of teachers or students. No vendors are coming in and out. And there's no handling of used food trays or utensils, etc.

It all sounds pretty safe. Not as safe as being at home - but pretty safe. I guess.

Still, after three months, getting back into a routine, getting out of the house for a bit - and being with someone other than me, will be good for him. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.

It should all be very interesting.

If history is any example, I suspect Sam will make the transition better than I will. We’ll find out soon enough