Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Venture Crew


We ventured into Garfield Heights last night, in the dark. It’s one of the conglomerate of southwestern Cleveland, post world war two, suburbs. The roads tangle, lanes end with reflective barriers. Poor roads, inadequate signage, unmarked alleys, three of which comprised the drive way into the community center. It’s not threatening or dangerous, it’s confusing and frustrating. We were in search of the Garfield Heights community center and our first meeting of Venture Crew 2309.  

They say Crew 2309 for short. They are Venture Crew to me. We walked into a room of teen age voices. Laura was a new face and adsorbed on contact into a mass of teenagers she knew not. I located the Scout leader I have met on and off for the last thirty years, was introduced to the mother of an eighteen year old Eagle Scout, who was pointed out to me, on the other side of the room.

I sank into a sofa next to the Eagle Scout mom, who also is a veterinarian and a Crew volunteer. For an hour my head swam in a wave of noise. The treasurer finished signing us up (and collecting dues). The scout leader next to me, and the one in front of me (whose sister I’ve also known for thirty years), and the veterinarian beside me told me of past adventures and what they hoped the Venture Crew might plan for this year.

In an hour’s time I arranged to never drive Laura to or from a meeting in Garfield Heights, and heard in minute detail last summer’s hike for two weeks in some mountain range in New Mexico (and the two month’s preparation (it involves red blood corpuscles, I’ve been told)). The other bimonthly meeting is at the Methodist Church, the home of card playing every Monday afternoon. I can certainly car pool there.

The meeting ended. Two things happened. I could not ascend from the depths of the sofa. The veterinarian whistled between her teeth. Her son appeared. “He’s trained to do this,” she said. “Can he pick you up?” Woosh, I was upright again.

Then, because they had not “appropriately” opened the meeting by pledging allegiance to the flag, they concluded with the recitation to a flag on the board, honoring veterans, and made of half a dozen twisted strips of red crepe paper over many, many stars and the black board, filmed by years and years of chalk dust. All as obscure as much of this country’s current moral sense, unless, of course, those young pledgers cared more about each other than our abused little pledge. Kept that to myself.

“So what did you and those three young women find to chat up so animatedly?”

“Band! They are in Woodridge band. We talked about what they do and what we do.”


Chicoma Mountain, New Mexico

23 comments:

  1. Hari OM
    Sounds like some new adventures and pal-dom are ahead; at least for Laura! YAM xx

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  2. That sounds exciting for Laura. What a beautiful mountain in NM. Probably in the Sangra d'Christo mountains. Wonder if it has snowed... They don't make couches you can get out of anymore. They are so low to the floor.

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  3. I'm glad you got help to get off the couch. If I lean back in one of those, it's an effort to get up. Hmmm... Band is good to talk about. And the moral decay in our country... sigh...

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  4. Love that mountain.
    These days I am very, very careful which chairs I sit on. I have discovered that if I sit in rather than on a chair my chances of getting up unaided are low.

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    1. I generally pick wooden chairs, especially those from a kitchen table. But they can be hard to come by.

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  5. Anything Scouting is a good activity to be involved in.

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  6. Good for Laura to have a new group with an adventure in the future!

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  7. There are no alleys in Central Florida. There weren't any in my neighborhoods in NYS, either. But I, like you, am from the upper midwest - and alleys were an important part of my childhood neighborhood.

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  8. Seems like a winning "venture" for Laura. Great that you succeeded in finding a group and activity that fits her needs. A relief for you that you don't have to dread that drive. I look forward to hearing about the Tuesday meetings.

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  9. Your parenting amazes me, Joanne. Your grandchildren are lucky children!

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  10. Anything that involves red blood corpuscles makes me nervous, but I suspect she can handle it.

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  11. It's great that Laura keep herself (and you) so busy but I do hope you get enough rest when you need it. It sounds like she fit right in to her new group and I'm sure if they are going to Mexico they will love the people. It's must better to go in a group there than to go alone.

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  12. Sounds like fun for Laura sounds like she has things in common.

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  13. Glad you had help to get out of the sofa! New exciting adventures for Laura!

    betty

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  14. So nice to be swooped out of a sofa instead of having to struggle up. Laura seems to be in safe hands with that group.

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  15. This sounds like a great group for Laura to get involved and one that will involve little driving for you. It is important to keep teenagers busy with healthy activities.

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  16. wish I had had a group like that to get involved in when I was that age. but then maybe I wouldn't have been interested at that age. you are amazing Joanne.

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  17. Thank goodness you found someone to haul you up from the sofa. What a neat thing to do.

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  18. "I arranged to never drive Laura to or from a meeting in Garfield Heights," this caught me and made me laugh. I so understand. God bless you for enduring the noise and meeting some interesting people.

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  19. I'm glad Laura was accepted so quickly and you don't have to continue to drive to Garfield Heights.

    Love,
    Janie

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  20. Laura joined comfortably in with the others. She has come so far.

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