Evan's Job and other frustrations

So a former student called to ask if Evan needed a job. She is now a manager at the customer service counter at the grocery store and really needs some new employees. Evan talked to her, found out that the grocery store pays $2.00/hour more than he is getting at the sandwich shop and took the new job (of course). He went to work at the sandwich shop on Saturday and gave his two weeks notice and worked his shift.

He came home complaining that the owner treated him poorly the entire time. Now it is difficult to know what exactly that means. I am sure the man is upset about it. He has an enormous turn-over there, but then he is paying minimum wage.

Anyway, on Sunday Evan called in sick and insisted he was sick even when the people who were there called him back saying that other people also did not show and it was just the two of them and they were swamped.

It makes me sad. I got angry at Evan about it. I want to be clear that I decided to get angry -- to show a little emotion. I did not make a big scene, but I did not want to have a long converstation and I did want to do my parental duty and clearly express my disapproval. So I "gave him a piece of my mind" for about 30 seconds and then let it go.

I had a long talk with someone yesterday about my anxiety about leaving Evan home alone. In the conversation I was able to reframe it all. What would I do if I were leaving any other teenager, who had never been alone and had no driver's license, alone in the house? Well, I would ask people to check in on him occassionally. Duh. I would make sure he had a long list of phone numbers of people he could call.

The recovery work is mostly really good for me, but it is also exhausting and confusing. I am still having a difficult time determining when my feelings are the sort of thing I should "let go" of and which are the ones I should act on.

But I am hereby giving myself permission to be a worried mommy.

Excuse me while I go next door to tell the neighbors that they ABSOLUTELY should call the police if there are loud parties or any sort of suspicious activity at all.

Now it is too bad that some of y'all don't live in town. I would SO be calling you right now!