Rahul's first day at Kroger

He looks a little bit haggard and tired here. It's partly because of the scraggy beard and partly because the first day at anything for anybody is tiring, especially since you have to be on alert the whole time. However, just before going to bed Rahul said, "The best part of my day was going to orientation." So there you have it!

The day almost went wrong. We thought orientation was at 10 and went there early, Rahul all keyed up and ready. A job coach (not always easy to locate these days) had been found and she was there on time too. Unfortunately we had the time wrong it seems and we had to go back home deflated. Luckily, another job coach was found for the afternoon orientation from 2-6. So after some math practice for the test tomorrow, Rahul went off to Kroger again. Other than paper work, there was some practice getting carts and bagging.

The job coach was C, a very protective, voluble and helpful person in her forties. She took charge of Rahul's documents as soon as we met her and at the end of the day made sure that I got all the papers he was given and knew what to bring the next day...because she probably wasn't going to be there the next day but of course she's going to see Rahul again, she certainly hopes she sees Rahul again, it was very nice working with him and maybe she'll drop into the store later one day just to check on him... "Now you stay calm and pay attention and everything will be fine, you'll see" she said to him.

I told her his dad is worried about him getting carts from the busy parking lot with cars moving around in all directions. "Oh no, I wouldn't let him go all by himself, I went with him. I won't let them throw him to the wolves, oh no. And I told them that he needs someone with him. They won't throw him to the wolves, they are nice. I am very big on safety. Maybe it's the mom in me..."

"What does it mean, throw him to the wolves?" asked Rahul apprehensively. He seemed satisfied by my explanation that this was figurative and no actual wolves were involved. (It's great when someone understands that there is such a thing as a "joke" and that something can be "figurative" even if they never get the joke or never understand the need to represent something using something that's not that thing.)

The Kroger HR person, a young woman who has been on the job for just a year, was really sweet too. She and C seemed to really like each other. I think they each recognized the "mom" in the other.

Well. One can never say how any of this is going to turn out. We'll hope for the best. Not just with Rahul's first job. Even when we are gone and (as Rahul's dad imagines it) the wolves are circling, I am going to put my faith in the goodness and love of moms.

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