Poor Job!

He is walking around, looking for food. His circumstances are embarrassing. How can he get out of his rut?


He lost his passport years ago ; his Medicare card was stolen and he sold his blue hospital card. He lent his bus pass to someone who kept it and he never had a driver’s license. When he feels rejected by a community, he hitch-hikes to another place despite the dangers of this means of transportation. He has valid reasons for feeling rejected : there are judgements pending against him in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta. Bench warrants for failing to appear in Court are outstanding in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Laval, Halifax and Gander. When he is in Montreal, he asks that his tickets be sent to la Maison du Pere. He is angry about altecations he had with municipal police in Regina, Longueuil, Brantford, Hamilton and Ottawa. Dark figures with organized crime are out looking for him in Toronto and elsewhere.

One of the mysteries which follows him like a shadow is his name : Job is his nickname. He knows his real name but never pronounces it. But he forgot his birth date! Not easy to get a birth certificate under those conditions… He is afraid of social services and he feels rejected by health services. The dressing on his knee should be changed but he keeps it there. It gets worse : he doesn’t want to take anti-psychotics. He disagrees with advice this would help him. Anyways, he could not manage a month’s supply. For now, he squats with other vagrants in a fire-damaged building plagued by mould, without running water with a jerry-rigged electrical connection which can provide 100 watts.

He usually eats rejects and garbage from food stores and restaurants. His family will not provide much help. His parents are deceased, he has no brother or sister, he stole from his uncles, which angered his cousins. More distant relatives did not send change of address notifications : since Job has no address, he cannot get mail.

His schooling was interrupted by failures and a devil-may-care attitude. Anyways, few programs cater to those who, like him never finished high school. And the first step of admission is to provide documents which he doesn’t have.

His work experience is limited to seasonal farming jobs he had long ago. Numerous rejections he got since losing his SIN card have discouraged him.

He looks gruff, unshaven, smelly, with dirty clothes. He has a few active cavities.

The season he fears the most is winter. He hopes to find a heated apartment by then but how can he do that if he has no income? He fears welfare officials and will not sign forms.

Let us conclude with a call to authors!

Where should Job settle down and what should be his goals and priorities?

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