Weekly history lessons

So for going on 5 years, I have been spending a couple hours a week at an old folks home. I visit elderly gentlemen who reside there and have become quite fond of the time spent there. I was spurred on by the actions of a "friend" R, who I like but is for unmentioned reasons, morally bankrupt. Anyway, he related to me while we were working on a Turkey barn for MSU, how he had befriended an elderly man in need. He stated that on many occasion, he would see this man trudging along the road carrying groceries and such. One particularly cold February day, he saw the old man, turned around and asked if he could give him a ride. The man stand-offish, finally agreed. To make a long story short, R began to help this man (Irv) once a week to do groceries and banking. I really was taken aback at R's generosity of time and friendship. I went off to GM and no longer worked with R but that act really stuck with me.

I thought for a few years about this act and wondered where I might find and old man trudging down the street in need? I really hadn't seen one in Okemos.

I was now dating M and we happened to be at a New Years Eve party (02-03) with friends and as the hour approached, everyone was talking about new resolutions. When asked, I said that I was going to do something of "consequence" this year. I guess I didn't know exactly but I knew it would involve the elderly. Someone said jokingly "that sounds very deep" or something like that, noting that, "you'll make us all look bad". I kept the yet unknown details to myself. I new Now, that something was going to change.

I sat on it a while longer but finally the pulling from within landed me at the Dobie Rd facility very near my home. I was not ready for the steps it took to become a "Friendly visitor" including a criminal back ground check, finger prints and two character references, Wow! Anyway, I met with the person in charge of volunteers and requested some Catholic gentlemen in order to have something in common. Initially I was set up with three gentlemen so I figured I could spend thirty or so minutes with each to fill in about two hours. That was the beginning of my "weekly history lessons" that I have come to enjoy and miss when not able to attend...

More to come on A, H, G, B and H (my old guys)