Good morning Chuck

Am I the first one up here? That never happens...Normally when I'm at home, everyone has been up for hours. No matter what time I get up.
I am honestly not looking forward to going home on Sunday. Reality sucks! To make it worse... I woke up this morning with a stuffy nose and sore throat.

OK..hopefully, that will be the extent of my whining today.

Lilith is taking me on a tour of Akron today. Showing me where she works, some of the sights here, and a few places I would think usually not on the typical tour. Such as some of the services the community has for the homeless and disenfranchised.
Apparently she has set up a tour of one of the shelters for this morning. Which really had me taken aback. Most all of my friends who have not lived a similar life as mine usually just put up with this aspect of me, and my past. My interest and willingness to go into places a (mostly)white boy from an upper middle class origin usually does not go. They usually only go with me ~ kicking and screaming a bit. They are usually fearful when I volunteer my time, and stop me in mid-sentence when I describe some of my encounters. Not knowing is better, I suppose.

This one is arranging tours! Encouraging me not to forget... is very supportive and not only shares this interest with me, but works in one of the more seamier sides of the social dilemma.

So.. now I am on the opposite end of the deal. I should be worried for her I suppose. She interacts with people ~ most of us pretend do not exist ~ on a daily basis and tells me about it often. Sometimes omitting some things out of habit...because many she knows, prefer to not hear about it either. I am not at all scared for her though. I believe she handles herself very well in these situations, and she is actually much better than myself in dealing with the politics and people. She is much more professional then I am. I tell her that I am glad she is doing what she does, rather than me. I'd probably end up stressed and impatient.

Who knows? Maybe I might come here and find a place back in social service for a time? Perhaps I've been hiding behind my engineering and technical skills for the past 10 years? Who knows?