Friday, October 22nd, Diary Day. I have not done this before, I have tendency to want to do things perfectly so some pressure on myself. My dad had a way with words and would come up with clever titles. So in a nod to dad I think this will be a mix of, Diary of a mad housewife and Ulysses by James Joyce.
The alarm went off at 5:00, though my subconscious was at work before. I was dairying in my dreams and worrying about oversleeping the alarm. Turned out the alarm did just fine. I was grateful for good sleep and waking up refreshed. As I age I now find I wake up in the middle of the night and sometimes have trouble getting back to sleep.
I started my morning routine. Stretching, showering, shaving. Then have my quiet time in my favorite chair. I enjoy reading the Bible in the comfort of the chair. When it is dark outside with just the lamp beside me on, it feels very intimate. I read two chapters from 2 Corinthians. A couple of familiar verses again were meaningful to me. “For momentary, light affliction are producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Wish I grasped that better. Like the description of “an eternal weight of glory”. Not infrequently I find Paul hard to understand but this description I like.
Planned an early start out the door to get to my service club. I had to get money to pay for breakfast and to buy fruit and granola bars. I took my debit card out of my wallet and headed out the door. I had forgotten about my lap top. So I had to go back in to get it. Then I got to the car and couldn’t recall where I put the debit card. By the time I found it my plan to get out the door early was toast.
I did get to the service club, with the cash to pay, grapes and granola bars and not be late. Our district governor talked. Not unsurprisingly he asked us to recruit new members, the importance of getting new, and younger members, involved. Also asked us to step up our donations so our organization can continue it’s good work. Mentioned that polio, which the organization had been formed to eradicate is not such a slight issue that younger people are unaware of it. Amazing success.
He also used the words inclusive and diverse. I find this to be touch buttons and depending on how they are interpreted I can agree or disagree with them. If he means younger members, minorities, ladies that is great. If he means people who will actively work to undermine things I believe in I am far less excited.
Club ran over which concerned me. I like to get into the office early and get at it. Being a morning person I do my best work when I’m fresh early in the day. Knew I would be out of the office most of the day so I was eager to get in.
About 9:45 left for the first event. Proud that my company has monthly not for profits it spotlights and to whom we donate money. Went to the not for profit selected this month and had pictures taken with the president of the organization. Its not a large enough amount to dramatically impact the not for profit, but it doesn’t hurt. Especially since I had previously initiated a meeting with the president and a person who, it turned out later was a fraud, but was saying would give a major gift. I told the president this check is smaller but it will be honored.
Back the office, ate an early lunch at my desk as we had an appointment at 1:30 in a town about 90 minutes away. Love the road trips, get to spend time with a fellow officer who is a friend. We talk about work, life, sports, the gambit. Beyond the fun of the road trip I was looking forward to the meeting as it was the initial meeting with a new client and one of the biggest clients we brought into our firm, it was at a town I had lived at before, and my wife was driving up separately to meet me after the client meeting.
The client meeting was “easy-peasy” as my friend is wont to say. We started to establish a relationship, explain how we will work together and agreed on when to meet next. The client’s father was there and had some concerns. I was glad we were able to answer the client’s questions in a way which put the father’s concerns to rest.
My friend dropped me off at the store where my wife was shopping, for a dress for our daughter’s upcoming wedding. Glad my wife was enjoying her self, rejoice our daughter found a wonderful Christian man to marry.
My wife didn’t find a dress, did find a few tops. I found a Chicago Blackhawk TShirt, took a picture of it and sent it to a friend who is a Detroit fan. I teasingly asked if I should get it for him. To my surprise, he said yes. He has a buddy who is a misguided Blackhawk fan and he wanted me to get the T-Shirt for his friend. He also asked met to come watch a game with them this weekend. It is late so I demurred, though I’m having second thoughts. It would be fun and one late night won’t kill me.
Then the sad part of the trip. A friend died. His kids and ours were similar ages, played sports and went to school together. He was young, had had covid, recovered then caught pneumonia, had those infamous underlying conditions and quickly died. He was a Christian and in heaven. It is hard to see his wife crying, saying she feels like she lost her right arm. What can you say to that? My wife plans to go back and have lunch with her. Pray the Lord helps us recall and see how we can assist as time goes by. There was an incredibly long line of people and show of support yesterday but it is so easy to get back to life, forget the one who passed, and that person’s family be grieving all by themselves.
We have a child with grandchildren in this city. Unfortunately, they have covid so we cannot directly contact them. However, we bought candy and talked to them through the front door. We left the candy on the door handle for them to get when we leave. Covid is impacting in so many ways, from taking lives, to killing family time together. I will be very glad when it is no longer an issue.
Then went to an Italian restaurant and had supper with long time friends. Since we moved to Muncie we seldom get together, so it was a real treat. Caught up on our families and our lives. What a blessing long time, good friends are. If we still lived in the same city we would meet more often and have probably went to their home to play cards. Since we had the 90 minute drive back to Muncie, we just said goodbye to them and left.
Nice talk with my wife on the way home. Glad she is a night person as I nodded off on the way home. A great day, but I found myself again dreaming about dairying and am glad to now be complete with this assignment!