At the veterans home, things just get done. People say they will do something, and they do it. Bill was helping out with Bingo while Jim was in Michigan visiting family and noticed all of the bingo cards wouldn’t fit in the box meant to hold them. "Shouldn’t we just get a bigger box?" he asked. Well yeah, sure, I thought—and just where does one buy a bigger Bingo box? Turns out, you don’t buy one anywhere. If you’re Bill, you walk to the woodshop and give someone the specifics. Which he did. And the next time I went to Bingo, we had a shiny new stained box – with room to spare.
Another, even more personal example: On Veterans Day, after the official program, Gary came and sat near Mike, my son and me, in a scene I’d pictured in my mind 100 times before—having them all together, and bringing up the idea of this project. I had envisioned this Web site months ago, and had wanted to run it by Gary, since he’s president of the residents’ council, and Mike, since he’s my buddy. I hadn’t planned to do it on Veterans Day, but there they were, and I was all emotional and humbled, and I felt like Doing Something.
So I brought it up. Gary and Mike both liked the idea. Gary said he would talk to "Alfie," the Home’s interim superintendent, the next time he saw her. I was elated. That first step is always the hardest.
I came back that same night for Bingo. Gary came in and said he’d talked to the superintendent already. I was amazed, but not really surprised.
"Wanna know what her parting words were?" he asked. Why yes; I kind of did.
"She said: ‘How soon can she start?’ " I grinned like an idiot. And just like that, I had A Meeting—and, even better, A Project.
Another, even more personal example: On Veterans Day, after the official program, Gary came and sat near Mike, my son and me, in a scene I’d pictured in my mind 100 times before—having them all together, and bringing up the idea of this project. I had envisioned this Web site months ago, and had wanted to run it by Gary, since he’s president of the residents’ council, and Mike, since he’s my buddy. I hadn’t planned to do it on Veterans Day, but there they were, and I was all emotional and humbled, and I felt like Doing Something.
So I brought it up. Gary and Mike both liked the idea. Gary said he would talk to "Alfie," the Home’s interim superintendent, the next time he saw her. I was elated. That first step is always the hardest.
I came back that same night for Bingo. Gary came in and said he’d talked to the superintendent already. I was amazed, but not really surprised.
"Wanna know what her parting words were?" he asked. Why yes; I kind of did.
"She said: ‘How soon can she start?’ " I grinned like an idiot. And just like that, I had A Meeting—and, even better, A Project.