Book Club

Today I met with my old boss Claire, over at the DD Council. I was responding to a call or email I can't remember which that I got last week from Claire indicated she want to meet with me on a project that we had spoken about a number of months ago. I've been having a hard time getting back with her not because she wasn't available or because I didn't have the time it was us trying to figure out how to do it in my own head. A good friend of mine who also worked at the Council recently retired. This retirement in and of itself is not a big deal he's getting up there in age, to second career he's done real well at it but there seems to be some tension as to why and how he left the office. Not that I'm in the middle of the whole situation and I'm not but sort of good and somehow feel that I am. I don't want to take sides, I don't think I have to take sides but still I don't know how I can remain in the middle. And I do not intend to remain in the middle I intend to go on. Both of these people have I don't believe there communicating real well with each other right now but there's nothing I can do on that level except be there as friends do.

It's Tuesday and every Tuesday I have that Assist meeting , I called this morning on Dave informed me that there be no meeting today. It's the end of the year, fiscal year, and the just is no money to help people out until the new fiscal year starts in July. That's okay because I intended to go downtown anyway. I'm going to the library to get my next audiobook. Sense, now I had a lot more time on my hands I figured I would stop and visit with Claire and find out what she needed from me. Finally, some beautiful weather for traveling. I got downtown and I got to the old office and there was Claire working with one of the employees over his projects. We caught up we talked easy and finally got to what Claire had in mind. Claire is doing a new project with kids with developmental disabilities. They have a book club going on. She has book clubs all over the Salt Lake area. There is a moderator of each book club who saw really doubt on reading. The concept is to have all members of the bookclub read. Keep in mind that these folks are developmentally disabled and are all challenged at some level with their reading ability. So, we sit in a circle and read. The reading never hurts, it never hurts to read but more importantly it's time spent together in a social setting doing something positive that many this folks probably would not have access to work not for this project. Claire knows I love to read and she also knows that I get along pretty well with this population. So she's asking me to become part of a reading group. Meets on Thursdays from 4 to 5 and best of all the meeting place is a library just down the street from where I live, well in all 10 or 12 blocks in West Jordan. And the west Jordan library is on Redwoodroad and Redwood road goes right past my building in fact there is a bus stop right outside my apartment. This seems to be a perfect project for me to do some good and still be able to get there and back again without issue. I can't believe how lucky I am..

There's no way I can say no to Claire, she played such an integral part in how I left state service, and more importantly how I entered into retirement. She really went to the mats to make sure I got as much benefits as possible and really saved our bacon, when Dianne and I were still married. Claire has been my guardian angel and I have to do whatever she says there's no way I can repay what I owe her. I was meeting with my group this coming Thursday. I have an earlier meeting that I must make an event rush over to the library by four. I can do this.