Things I Learned Working for the 2020 Census

 Since July I have been working as an enumerator for the 2020 Census. I have visited hundreds of homes, traveled to northern Idaho, rural Elmore County, Idaho and the Lake Tahoe area in California.  Here are a few things that I have learned.

1. The world is full of really good people.  So many friends and family have made comments about 'getting doors slammed in your face"  but I can testify that the overwhelming majority of people are helpful and friendly. During the really hot days in Boise, I can't tell you the number of people who offered me cold water or invited me inside to rest in their air conditioning.  (FYI, we aren't allowed to go inside homes) 
   In California, I complimented a woman on her mask and she immediately told me that she bought extra so that she could give them away as she handed me one. It's pretty unique huh?  
   
   As the census entered its final phases, when we went to an address where no one was home, we were instructed to look for proxies to help us get an accurate count.  In the Lake Tahoe area where there are many vacation homes, we often had to rely on the one or two full time residents on a street. Many times, these people were willing to walk the block with me and fill me in on which houses were full time residences and which were 2nd homes.  They didn't have to do this and it took up their time but they were so helpful even when I was the 3rd or 4th census worker they had talked to.
   
   
   During my weeks in the Tahoe area, I had been intrigued by the huge pinecones, called 'sugar pine cones' that I saw on the ground.  As I left one home, I noticed that the yard was full of these cones.  I rang the doorbell and asked if I could pick some up to take home with me.  The lady told me that I could and then came out with a large plastic bag and her gardening gloves, had me identify the ones I wanted and then put them in the bag for me so that I wouldn't get the sap all over my hands.

   
   
   
2. I did encounter some GRUMPS who were not so amiable.  Does it really take more effort to be polite to someone who comes to your door? Seriously,  how hard is it to answer the question, "How many people were living here on April 1, 2020?"  Is anyone so busy that they can't take the time necessary to answer that question?  From people like this I learned that it doesn't take a lot more effort to just be NICE!
3. Just as you can't judge a book by its cover, you can't judge the people by the house they live in.  Sometimes I went up to a trailer or less than desirable house and met the nicest people ever.  

Like the one lady who picked a handful of cherry tomatoes for me from the little plant by her front door. Or the mother and daughter that were so chatty that they truly felt like friends by the time I left them.  There was one elderly gentleman in a house that was sort of falling down,  who invited me in for wine and bread!  Sometimes the people in the multi million dollar houses were too rushed to be friendly....but other times they were congenial, offering to identify other vacation homes on their block.

So I have definitely been schooled in my tendency to judge too quickly and by outward appearances rather than to be patient and give each person a chance before I made a judgement.

And just so you know, I didn't take any of the photos of homes in this blog post.  I got them randomly off the Internet so as not to accidentally give out any personal information.

           4.  For many years I have heard George say that your job satisfaction depends a lot on your immediate supervisor.  Without saying more, I can affirm that this is a true statement.

            5.  One challenge of being a census enumerator is finding toilets when you need them.  I have used more construction worker porta-potties in the last weeks than in the last many years.  I learned a side benefit of wearing a mask....they make porta-potties a lot less disgusting! 

            6.  I have learned that in the Lake Tahoe area, BEAR WARNING signs are serious!  At our very first hotel in South Lake Tahoe, I noticed this sign in the parking lot and sort of laughed.  Bears in this city!  Ha Ha!  

After dark I was going out to my car to get something and two men stopped me to say, "There is the bear.  He comes every night about this time."  I am so glad they did, as he was very close to my car.  I'm normally pretty calm, but seeing a bear right behind me would have freaked me out! 

Sorry the photo isn't the best but it was dark.

Bears frequent all the towns around Lake Tahoe.  Thanks to bear proof trash cans,  locals say that bears have gone from being 'dumpster divers to expert burglars' and have taught the skills to their young.  Locals take precautions like electric bear mats and fences.

Bears' mentality seems to be "If I can smell it and I can get it, it's mine".  When a bear manages to get into a home to ransack for food, the destruction left behind can be devastating and even dangerous if they accidentally turn on stoves or break gas pipes.    It has become a real problem and pits the environmentalist against homeowners.  

7.  A last lesson I've learned during these past few weeks, is that if you have elderly relatives who don't get out much, please visit them.  So many times, I found myself having long conversations with older people.  I could tell that they were lonely.  At least once, I even broke the 'don't go inside' rule to make it easier on an older person and to give us a bit more time to talk.  

8.  Although deserts vistas are stunning and I love beaches, the scenery that gives me the most joy is mountains and lakes and pine trees.  Views like this make my heart sing!

Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe

Working at my first job in over 40 years has made me feel young, given me new skills, enabled me to see parts of the country I haven't seen before, introduced me to new friends and has put a little extra money in our bank account. I'm grateful for all of that.....