Christa Howard

Social Worker
Type 1
Nature: Defender

Attributes
Physical Attributes
Strength 2
Dexterity 2
Stamina 2

Social Attributes
Charisma 3
Manipulation 2
Appearance 2

Mental Attributes
Perception 4
Intelligence 3
Wits 2


Abilities
Talents
Alertness 2
Awareness 2
Brawl 1
Empathy 3
Expression 1
Intuition 2
Leadership 1
Streetwise 1

Skills
Drive 1
Etiquette 1
Melee 1
Stealth 1

Knowledges
Academics 1
Computer 1
Investigation 2
Law 2
Technology 1


Backgrounds
Allies 1
Contacts 2
Detective License 1
Influence 1
Mentor 1
Passion 3
Resources 2


Determine Advantages
Willpower 5

Personality Flaws
I fixate too much on people.
I overextend myself too much.
I internalize my frustrations.

five unspent freebies



How old are you? (Date of birth? How old do you look? Feel? Act?)

I am 33 years old, but I’ve always acted older than I was. Up until I actually turned 30 people were telling me that I have the mannerisms of a much older person. I mean, I thought I looked young but now I finally admit the stress is starting to get to me. My brown hair has already started to streak with a little bit of gray. I catch a few odd strands every once in a while and cringe. The rest of me is nothing exciting. I’m fairly short, just shy of 5’4” average build really though my mother used to call me hippy. I’ve struggled with weight most of my life, right now I’m on one of my lower ends averaging about 135-140 which is still slightly large for my frame.

What is your family life like? (Parents? Siblings? Spouse/s? Child[ren]?)

Ah my family, it’s not too often that I talk about myself, I guess I am still trying to work through the trauma’s I’ve had. My family life can be summed up in a few experiences. My first memory was in my mother’s closet, my baby sisters voice ringing mind numbingly into my ears. I tried the door, but there was no latch to open it with. I remember trying to bang on it but only managed to hurt my hand, worse even than the pangs of my belly. Sleep would claim me for long stretches and I couldn’t have been much older than three, but I remember being there with Michelle for what felt like days. I later found out it often times was days while she partied and binged out on drugs.

My mother was young when she had us, we were less than a year apart born to her in her teen years when she was living on the streets and rebelling against her parents. We were thankfully taken away from her. After many years in foster care our grandparents finally took us in and permanently adopted us, especially after it was clear that I was being abused. I would never let anything happen to my sister, constantly I protected her and payed for it in mental and physical damages. It was our social worker that brought us out of the situation, she saw how fidgety I would react to her and pleaded with the courts and with our grandparents to save us from the life we would inevitably be led down. Thankfully they obliged her and even at seven years old I knew she had left a powerful impression on me. She protected me while I was busy protecting my sibling. Life was much simpler with my mother’s parents.

I married Philip when I was 24. We started off well enough. Best friends in college, he took care of me and loved me but I suppose it wasn’t enough. While I was busy taking care of hundreds of other people, he found comfort in the arms of other women. A friend of mine caught him out with another woman and we divorced after six years.

Where are you from? (Birthplace? Nationality? Culture? Social class? Upbringing?)

Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. Italian American Middle class when we lived with my grandparents but poorer than poor with my mother. My upbringing was ok after we were adopted. My mom didn’t bother trying to see us much, she’d moved out of state and got another life. Unlike most Italian’s I’m not very loud, but the rest of my family certainly is.

What do you believe? (Religion? Politics? Philosophy? How do you treat people who believe differently?)

Raised catholic, not really practicing at the moment though I tend to respect other’s beliefs. I’ve heard some pretty insane things in this field and sometimes we have to learn how to avoid coming off as judgemental. So in general I don’t judge people. I just give them the space they need to express themselves.

What do you do? (Work experience? Current job? Hobbies?)

I’ve been a social worker for over 10 years now. No time for hobbies really I work too much and I’m single and childless that makes most other activities pretty pointless. I’m a pretty good cook, that likes playing facebook games, otherwise my job is my life. Helping people is all I’ve ever wanted to do. My job is to witness pain and joy, to sit there in the moment, to absorb and reflect whatever my clients need.

How do you deal with life's problems? (Force? Avoidance? Negotiation? Cleverness?)

When I go home at night I research, I blog, I work my way through my problems as logically and methodically as I can. Sometimes in the moment negotiation is my go to. I try to find compromise in all of life’s issues, good can be found amid the bad, that is what I try to lean on.

When did you first experience a brush with death? (How did it impact your life? Your personality?)

My first brush with death was at the hands of a clients boyfriend. I visited the house during an altercation. I made sure to call the police before I entered, I could hear the the commotion even from my vehicle. The second I walked up to the stairs I was greeted with a bullet to the chest. This was after three years in the field and its only served to make me more paranoid. It was in my first year of marriage as well and I think it might have been what began the fall of my marriage. If I hadn’t have called the police already I could have died. The bullet was a mere centimeter away from my heart. I try not to think about it but its what has made me who I am today. We all have our battle wounds, our war stories from the field.

Complacency sneaks in after hundreds of home visits without an issue, it can make you a little tense. These are my rules for each and every time I visit someone’s home.
Be alert as you drive up and step out of the car
Act assertive and look like you belong there
Listen for arguments before you knock on the door
Watch for drugs or weapons around the house
Wear shoes you can run in
Avoid scarves and jewelry
Watch for increased agitation
Get out immediately if threatened

Still, shadows seem a bit darker, strangers a bit more seedy today. Not everyone is out to get me, I know. It's just hard not to be paranoid when risk is in your every thought.

What is your greatest love? (What would you be willing to sacrifice for it?)

My greatest love is acting out of love for strangers in tangible ways. I was made to represent love so that all people I encounter have a more profound sense of hope and faith within themselves. I do the hard, intimate, sometimes painful work, and in return bring a little more of the divine into daily life. I get to remind others about the bigger, more beautiful picture that we can’t always see from where we are.

Sometimes the bottom just falls out, and nobody is exempt. Everything is not okay. And one of the most profound gifts I can give to my clients is the willingness to hunt down tissues or offer a safe place to be upset. Because in the end, what else is there to do? I can’t take away the cancer, although I would if I could. I can’t buy my client a house, although I would if I could. I can’t say that it’s never going to happen again and everything will be okay. But I can be there, and I can listen to their stories, of funny things the doctors said, and the strange and annoying things that people think are helpful to say in these situations. I can sit in silence in the moments of rage, knowing that everything is not okay, but that this tiny moment is.

What is your greatest regret? (What in your past would you change if you could?)

I regret not working harder to fix my marriage. I was so focused and determined in my career that my mind drifted from family. I miss him, I wanted children and a family but my career is consuming, it feeds my soul. Perhaps one day I can find balance but I love people, all people. Could I ever really be satisfied with just a few?

What is your greatest hate? (A person? A prejudice? Directed inward or outward? Why?)

I hate it when people lie to me. I’ve heard so many they just serve to make me want to uncover the truth more. It’s an internal battle. I’ve learned to decipher so much bullshit over the years I might as well be a full time juror. I never show my angst about it though. It just fuels my research and investigation further.

What is your greatest fear? (A phobia? A trauma? Failure/rejection? Why?)

My greatest fear is causing harm to another. It happens that sometimes we are not able to save everyone from their situation. But if I were to fail someone and it be my fault that harm comes to them I’d likely admit myself for psychiatric therapy for a few days. I have no idea why I am so afraid of failing someone, I didn’t realize it until after my divorce, after I failed what should have been the most important person in my life.

What is your self-image? (What are your three greatest strengths? Weaknesses?)

In my role as a social worker, I feel more powerful and confident; I'm able to act with authority. Initiating conversations is a major chunk of my job and shooting the shit with a resistant client is a necessity, at least until they trust you enough to get to the heart of their issues.

But in my daily life outside of work, I tend to be passive and observant. I try my best to avoid conflict and only start to prod into peoples lives when it is clear when they will let me. This is one reason I have very few true friends. Maybe I'll start doing biopsychosocial assessments at parties or only using "I" statements to express my anger when someone at the grocery store cuts in line.

Paranoia is both my greatest weakness and my greatest strength. It makes me extremely observant and grants me to the ability to see what others may have missed. But it also makes me look fidgety and weak. I’ve tried over the years to calm my external caution but I can only control so much of it.

From the list- I fixate too much on people. I overextend myself too much. I internalize my frustrations.

What actor would play your character if this were a movie?
If this were a movie I think Sandra Bullock could do me justice.