I think they Photoshopped my head--but this was basically me thirty years ago...

I migrated down from Idaho almost 30 years ago to work at the Utah Independent Living center (uilc). I basically enjoyed my time at that I LC but eventually moved on. I was intrigued when last week I was contacted by the Executive Director of the center could called to inform me the center was having a 30 year celebration and asked if I would attend as well of the old staff. The event was timed late in the day and actually I think I can count the time away from the office community integration time. This would give me a chance to leave work a little early, bus over to the center and see old staff and friends. I figured two hours why not?

I was surprised to find the building seemed to be bursting at the seams when I got there. There was old staff and old consumers – – consumers I have not seen in decades consumers I thought were dead,. I was amazed it's interesting to go back to a place where I once worked – were in some cases I often felt like family. When I worked at the center there is really just for us and we were family back to nearly 80s we did just about everything together for a while it was like a cross between Seinfeld and Gray's anatomy. But we'll moved on, or at least I did.

Maurice was there, Maurice or Moe as I called in those days was the director of the facility when I interviewed for the job (which is another story entirely). Moe was one of those folks I thought was dead but he is very much alive. I think I like Moe more than the other staff, I think I understood Moe more than the other staff I appreciated the way he Moe thought, but we got rid of them there is a mini insurrection, I caved and was part of it. But we talked long time yesterday, we talked long time Moe and is relatively new life. I'm I look them up have lunch with some of these days if you live that long they look good so I assume he will live that long. I was amazed at how many of the consumers with serious disabilities, some progressive disabilities are still alive. I really thought that belong dead but there are there Tommy with multiple sclerosis, and others. I was surprised his love these folks have stopped coming to all the other events the center has been having, the Halloween party, the Christmas party the picnic and so forth the all really forth came out for the 30th anniversary. Unbelievable, really wasn't even that big of a food draw: cheese on a stick and cookies and number five red dye punch. So these folks obviously really want to be there which is cool. I mingled, got buttonholed spoke to some people way too long another's not long enough – – made promises to getting together knowing I never well. A couple of them I really do want to do that got some ideas and then their input would be important to the success of these ideas and there is a bit of a timeframe as well, I want to do something with some of these people before they die. So, I did the 30 year reunion--I wasn't a reunion but I'm pretending that was how if I just make it another 10 years for the 40 year reunion!