Day 117

Fathers’ Day. My father was an unknown to me. Quiet, introverted, not involved with us. He was a poet and gardener. He didn’t know me either. After church, more yard clearing. I did a lot yesterday and my back was aching. I will work anyway. The weeds are also thriving. I added three zucchini to the bales and thinned the chard and beets in my adopted bales. No back problem with bale gardening. It’s the ground that requires bending and squatting.

POH

I was appointed as the Assembly member for the California Senior Legislature in Sacramento and was excited about the event. It is held at the capital and we use the chambers and act in the same ways as our elected members. Due to a series of unavoidable glitches, it was not a positive experience. The local airline decided not to fly when I needed to go and so I missed the entire first day of the session. I was not sworn in, didn’t get the orientation, and couldn’t find my way around the capital. I was lost and so far behind that I never caught up.

I went along with the other assembly members into the meeting rooms and heard the proposals but had no idea of what I should be doing. I was disappointed and sad. At meal breaks I had fine conversations with interesting people from all over the state and that was worthwhile. Then on Sunday, it was over at noon and I was stuck in Sacramento until Monday morning. I wandered around and finally just stayed in the hotel room and watched TV. In the morning, I was met at 5 AM by the transport to the airport. I felt dejected and had no energy. When the driver opened the door for me, a young man wearing a sweater with an insignia took my hand and helped me out. He said he was waiting for me. He said he would get my bag, ushered me into the building, sat me in a chair and went off to get my boarding pass. He came back with a wheel chair and said “hop in.” We zoomed past a mile of people waiting for security screening until we were at the top. He took off my shoes, pushed me through the screening, put my shoes back on, and gave me a push through the gate. When I turned around to thank him, there was no one there. A man is a uniform with a jacket asked if he could help me to the airplane. I said no, I could walk and I did. Wondering who ended the difficult experience with kindness.