Matt's Journal

Took a job. As a Census Enumerator.

I count heads in households. Big houses. Small apartments. To all, an interloper, an interruption in their day. Some welcome me, others reject me, refuse to participate. Rich, poor, it’s the same.

Why this job? I don’t need it. But I want to increase my range of acquaintance, and NOT be at a desk as I was all my working life. There are surely other ways to do that, but this one was before me and it does do some good. And it pays pretty well for what it is — a temporary, rather menial job outdoors on foot, knocking on strangers’ doors.

Not all are strangers. I’ve done a few people near me. They are lucky – I forget any details they tell me.

But most are farther away. It is strange how much dilapidated housing sits so close to this admittedly expensive place where we reside. So close. And yet I never walked those streets until now. I’m thinking of the neighborhoods south of SCC, south of Sutterville. As I get to know them I learn about their quirks, which are many. About the hidden apartments out back and where the hobos sleep in the trash-strewn alleys. There are pockets of “nice” and pockets of “yuck”.

It is like that here in my nice area too. I didn’t see the vacant slightly rundown places down on 10th Avenue until I had to call on them.

It’s a new job and I’ve made my mistakes and am still learning how to do things that I haven’t done before. Like, what to do when an address you are supposed to visit is now three apartments. I can enter timesheets — imagine — without error.

I wish there were more interaction among we enumerators. Perhaps there is in normal times but with covid-19 restrictions there’s been no interaction at all, save a few group chats on the government-issue phones.

This is the first time I’ve worked where I don’t really need the money. Knowing that I can quit doesn’t mean I will leave. I’ve always tended to hold on and hold out, to be reliable. Leaving intentionally might be a good thing to experience.