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Thursday, November 16, 2017

Red shoes


I see the world in pictures and in stories. I see people by what I see around the people. Often I recognize them by their hair, by their size and shape, but not by their face. I don’t know why, or why this even came to me, as I set about clearing a batch of pictures from my phone.

A little batch of pictures has hung around on my phone since election day. Not that long ago, but light years in my world of file them or get rid of them. Flags were at half staff that day. I had to look it up. The church shooting in Texas. What changes?



Of everything I lost to the Red Bus, my job was the worst. It connected me to the world more than any other piece of my brain that went spinning off. I have an email almost daily from the new fiscal officer: How does she do this or that or the other thing. And I know and I tell her. I did not lose that job for want of competence.

The new fiscal officer was appointed by the trustees to fill the vacancy when I left. She had to run for election in the next general election, in November. She had an opponent, which I never did in four elections. And, she won.

I vote in the town hall, and took my chances at finding Ron on my way out. The door still opens to the same key code, and the same voice from the office observed “I hear footsteps in the hall!” Ron moved Winston, the skull in wool hunter’s cap, from Doug’s chair, and I settled in for a catch up chat. Doug is off, nursing his replacement knee, you may recall.



First we talked grandbabies. Ron has his first, a boy who’s closing in on a year now. Actually, we shook hands on our way out the door, me to DC and him to Czechia, where the little fellow was just born. That’s the little guy, on the phone.



“I have a picture for you!” Ron said. This picture is so Ron, I must explain it. That’s the hood of a thirty five year old Ford tractor, on the last trip mowing ditches this year, “on Wetmore, your favorite road. It was a beautiful day! I had to take a picture.”



Here’s one more picture I didn’t use the other day. The branches over the road at Kendall Lake. I take this picture almost every spring and every fall, for the last many years.



And, for the end, our little girl with red shoes. Now her care is in the hands of a fifteen year old girl every day. Often in the afternoon I see her and her brothers coming down the road with the caretaker. The complex maintenance fellow says they’re still using space heaters in the house, but that’s all he knows. All I know, too. I need to figure out how to upload the doctor forms to the Rotary site.





19 comments:

  1. Hari OM
    Some small progress, one supposes. How wonderful to visit with your erstwhile chum... and I wonder if the trustees know about your being daily relied upon? YAM xx

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    1. The clerk before me helped me probably every day, for months. Just passing it on. It's better to follow Township law than to be nicked by an auditor of the State of Ohio.

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  2. It is hard to get rid of pictures. They are history. I'm happy the Red Shoes has someone to watch her even if it is a mere teenager. I hope the best for her and her brothers.

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  3. I would take pictures at Kendall Lake too.
    Love that little Miss Red Shoes still smiles. And hope she is never beaten down by realising just how tough/precarious her life is.
    Smiling at Ron's photo - and your ongoing connection.
    .

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  4. Great photos, Joanne.

    Having to leave your job had to be difficult when you enjoyed the connection to people it afforded you. That Red Bus was a thief!

    I hope things are going OK for Little Miss Red Shoes.

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  5. You have a lot the red bus didn't take, look at all you remember. Have you thought about a volunteer job?

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  6. Little Miss looks like a very spunky monkey.

    If you are still able to help the new fiscal officer you must remember quite a bit.

    Those fall pictures are beautiful.

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  7. It's too cold for space heaters alone. The furnace doesn't work, I guess? I thought the school was going to step in to check on her. She's a darling little girl.

    Love,
    Janie

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  8. I'm glad you still remember your job so you can help the new girl. I love the picture of branches over the road. Red Shoes looks happy.

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  9. I hope little red shoes is well cared for and the fifteen year old career has support. So sad your job had to go after your nasty accident x

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  10. I realize not everyone misses their job after they retire. However, a part of me still does. I don’t miss the work or the commute, but I do miss the day to day interactions with people I liked and having purpose, and oh yes, a paycheck.

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  11. I feel for you re missing work...I miss mine every day. Still.

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  12. I'm the opposite when it comes to seeing. When we are watching tv, Sue notices so much more that I do because I tend to really lock on the eyes.

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  13. I find it interesting as to what people "see" and "don't see". My mom (she died at 94)used to notice everything a person wore... even their make-up, hair style, and jewelry. I never see these things (and should be more observant). But I do notice children and animals, nature and trees, etc. Love the pic of the road! And little red shoes is adorable.

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  14. Like AnvilCloud, I'm an eye watcher, and like you, I sometimes can't recall faces. I remember conversations, though. For years. Little red shoes is a heart tugger. I think of her often . It must be hard for you to see them all the time and know what they are up against but I'm glad someone is watching.

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  15. I was going to suggest some kind of volunteer work but I see someone beat me to it. you wan't get paid money but it will give you a purpose. and how's the lawsuit coming against the red bus?

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  16. Such a sweet little girl in red shoes!!

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