I think that’s what they’re called, but I’m actually not sure. Whatever the case, I went to one tonight with my husband. I had thought it was an event for the community, like a happy hour-esque event for everyone just to mingle for a bit. It surprised me that my husband was so stressed about arriving only minutes after the start time, until we walked inside. Suddenly, the very few cars in the parking lot made sense. It was not a mingling event. It was a meeting. Haha
Oops. Somehow misunderstood that flyer. No wonder my husband was surprised I was going with him. Haha
Anyway, I actually liked going. Sort of, anyway. The German in me always sees immediately the room for improvement on anything I cross. However, it was neat to see the different stuff they manage and how (or how not). It was also cool to be able to provide input on things here and there. And also to hear that other neighbors, whom we don’t know, have similar experiences and feelings about things in the neighborhood.
So, it was cool to have gone.
And, naturally, I got myself volunteered for something. They had mentioned several things where I was interested in our participating or helping run the event or whatever. But my husband basically declined everything with a bit of ferocity, so I did not offer us up for any of them. However, on the final point, when they mentioned that the newsletter is only in English and they are considering putting it into “translation software”, which means Google Translate, of course, I was not willing to allow it. My husband agreed that it was fair to offer my help ‘as I am able’. So, I was clear that I wasn’t committing to doing the whole newsletter every month – it’s apparently a four-page thing, according to my husband – but that I would do what I could to make it turn into Spanish as often as possible. I also said it wouldn’t be perfect, but that it would communicate. Everyone seemed happy and excited about that, which was cool. And it was fun for me to be stepping out of my comfort zone with reasonably low stakes, but also a chance to grow and improve myself and my skills tremendously in the process. So, that sort was very cool.
We even ended up talking with this one guy afterward. He just started talking to me in Spanish afterward – also, he was clearly on the board or something, but I don’t know his position – and so I replied, and we and some others had an oddly mixed conversation of Spanish for the two of us and my husband and English when talking with everyone else. It was silly, but cool, too. He’s originally from El Salvador, so he speaks Spanish natively. However, he said he truly cannot write Spanish. He said his daughter can, but that he cannot, otherwise he would have volunteered for the newsletter. I told him that I could write it, and he could read it and let me know what I needed to fix. He laughed, but seemed to find it actually a very reasonable proposition.
It was a fun ending to the meeting.
And then we had to rush home to sell one of the high chairs to a guy from Marketplace. It was a successful transfer, and I hadn’t dropped the price on the chair again yet, so it was for $5 more than I had thought. Even better – yippee(!). Haha
So, anyway, good evening.
Thank you, God, for this evening. Thank you for my husband and my mother. Keep us and the baby all safe, please. Make me and the baby well. Help us all to sleep well at night and to rise early each morning, ready to go. Help us always to see clearly our next step in pursuing and fulfilling your will. In your name, I pray. Amen.
Post-a-day 2024
hannah ananas 