Conflict with fellow Helpxer?
Excuse the long post. I hope this an appropriate sub for this. I need some advice as how to handle this. I’m a solo traveler doing Helpx at a small ranch in Oregon. The host is a little crotchety at times, but nothing I can’t deal with. Her and I generally get along fine.
The problem entered when I had been here nearly two weeks. A new helper, we’ll call him Derek, showed up. At first Derek seemed really cool. We seemed to hit it off, but the trouble came when we started to work together.
Our first project was completing a greenhouse. We had to mount corrugated plastic over a metal frame. Derek and I figured out a system to accomplish this. Now, I lack carpentry experience and make no qualms about it. Almost immediately, Derek begins to criticize me for doing several things wrong. Now, I can more than handle constructive criticism. But being harsh is a different matter, which he was. But I tried to take it in stride, push through the workday and eventually we got it done.
The next day (today), our first task was to move all the male animals from gated area to another. Again, I’m not experienced in this and don’t claim to be. The animals mainly consist of aggressive male goats and a very stubborn alpaca. So I’m already a bit nervous about dealing with them, but I’m ready to try my best. Derek and I began the process of shooing them into the next pasture. At first things are fine, but I guess I must have fallen short somewhere, because Derek starts criticizing me for not helping enough, even though I’m actively grabbing/wrestling the animals towards the next gate. Derek then begins to swear and raise his voice at me to “take more initiative” etc. He is also slapping the animals quite hard, which I’ve never seen the host do, and doubt she’d be okay with.
Again, I tried to take it in stride, ignore him and do my best with a difficult situation. Derek seems to get frustrated with situations and take it out on me, which I feel is inappropriate and uncalled for. I’ve never had a problem like this with fellow helpers at other work exchanges and am a bit at a lost as what to do. I’m a very non confrontational person, but I’m about at my breaking point with him.
Any advice is appreciated.
Submitted May 10, 2018 at 06:25PM by Gretschish https://ift.tt/2KbNHfy
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