When I was born I was not very healthy. No, I wasn't that "bouncing" baby, by any stretch of the imagination; some in the delivery room (including the doctor) believed I was stillborn. A nurse, we don't know her name, decided I wouldn't die, and whatever she did to me has never been discussed. I don't think my mom knew in fact. She may have breathed into my nose, she may have spanked, me, whatever it was, I began to breathe. I didn't cry. (That came later) I was given a chance; God had another plan, I suppose.
I've never been quiet except that ONE time; that's it. The ONLY day in my entire life that I have shut up has been noted as being my first. It's the whole, "I was dead, but I got over it" thing. I'm here to say, I've absolutely mastered the art of being heard no matter where I go. This week I am in training for becoming an Auto Claims Adjuster. I could be independent, or someone may end up hiring me, but I'm learning to estimate cars. It's fun, challenging, and very important actually. I love it.
During the training, we have about 38 people left. We started out with 47, and this is only day 3. I think we'll lose a few more tonight, and maybe end up with 24 when we finally reach the last day. It is not easy. It is tough. It is competitive, it is just really great content. The class is intense on purpose. We had to pass a series of testing and videos, and modules, all full of (stuffed with) information about cars and what happens to them during and after catastrophic events such as hail, tornadoes, floods, collisions, even vandalism, and hiding larger animals.
The course is designed to teach several people at once, so naturally the instructors would love to see more people than just me answering the questions. I do far more than my share of answering because so many people are either shy, lazy, unwilling, or they don't know the answer. I wait...I usually wait several seconds and then when no one chooses to answer I raise my hand. I feel there are at least a dozen more who actually know the answers, but they just don't want to speak up because if they are wrong they feel badly for missing the answer. That never bothers me. I just say "Oh well, I thought it was that" or "I missed it". I don't freak out over not knowing everything dang detail.
People are too sensitive. If you miss it, you miss it. At least you tried, and it's worth something to stand up and try! Today, before the day even got started, one of the instructors said "Jude isn't allowed to answer anything today." That was hard. I was over here dying!! I felt like Hermione Granger! My hand was on under my thigh so I wouldn't raise it and we're in Zoom, so I don't need to do that. I am an obedient student, however, and I did exactly as I was told. The instructor privately messaged me to say "OK, I'll let you if they can't". That was nice.
We did a Kahoots game, and I placed 4th, that means that others do know the answers!! I got 17/18 correct and that means that there are questions I don't know the answer to. They were fairly easy questions; not gonna lie, but still. One person who placed above me said she was floored that she passed me. Please, I am by NO MEANS the standard. I just have a big mouth! I don't like to sit still if I know the answer and no one else is willing to say it. I do wait. I really do.
Well, for the next few days, we'll be crammed and jammed full of information. I hope I don't pop. I will be writing estimates in my sleep, I know I will be. After our final project, which is next week, I'll hopefully be able to take my own car and do an estimate on it, and then start going to parking lots and looking at damaged vehicles to see if I can do it there. I may go to a body shop and see if they'll let me hang out and write a few. It's good practice. One of the things I love about my instructors is that they are incredibly patient. I would NEVER have been so patient. I may have a knack for remembering things, and for speaking in public, but I am not as patient as they have needed to be. I would be zapping people - - you're gone, NOPE, no more excuses, I don't care. NOPE...gone.
Photo Credit: ME...but I took it off of Kahoots. (I added the 4th out of and I think it was 38 actually....I found that out afterward.)
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