Just Call Me Erin

It took me most of the day yesterday to get stuff for Sunday done, so I set all of my creative time aside to watch Erin Brockovich for the first time. It was the TV version so the language was changed making it more tolerable.

What a great story though. . . Erin reminded me so much of me in many ways. She saw the people that she worked with as people, not as cases. There is one scene where she is being challenged by a very “snooty” lawyer who was telling her they had to go fill in the holes in her research. “There are no holes” she replies. “Things like phone numbers . . .” the lawyer says, and Erin replies, “Whose phone number do you need?” “There are over six hundred families here, there is no way you know all their phone numbers.”

Erin says, “Which phone number do you need?” After a long silence, the lawyer pulls out a file and states a name. Not only can Erin give the number, but tells age of the client, her parents names, her aunt and uncles name, her address, how long she has been sick, what diagnosis she has, etc.

This reminded me of my work with Adopt America. We have our children coded and put into our systems with numbers like WB2942. But to me the kids are more than just a number. (I’m changing names here, for data privacy purposes), but I can tell you for example, off the top of my head without looking it up, about three boys and a girl. Their names are Adam, Dylan, Rebecca, and Jordan. They are half/white half Hispanic. They are 14, 12, 10 and 8. They have been waiting for a family for over two years. Their case worker is in (leaving city out) and her name is Shayla Johnson. The 12 year old is diagnoses with Bi-polar, all three have ADHD. They 10 year old has ODD and the 8 year old girl has asthma. I can also tell you that the state that they are from often overdiagnosis bi-polar, but that this diagnosis is what is keeping many potential adoptive parents away. I can tell you which three families the worker is currently considering for them and what states they are from.

Erin’s success in prosecuting this case was because of her connection with the people. And I believe that my success as a “matcher” is because of the same thing. In 2005, I have been a part of making it possible for 82 children and teenagers to be placed in the homes of families who have made a lifetime commitment to them. Four of them have been 17.

I do not see children as numbers, but as people. I see each and every case, even though I am now working hundreds of children, as not just a case, but a child and I work long hours to make sure that I do everything I can to see that they get a home. I can’t control the system, but I am bound and determined that I’m not the one who is going to drop the ball.

There are a few things that Erin and I do not have in common, however. I am not twice-divorced, I have a supportive husband, I have 3.33 times as many children, I look NOTHING like Julia Roberts, I only drop the “f bomb” when I’m quoting my children, and ain’t NOBODY gonna give me $2,000,000 for my efforts....