I lost a great mentor and friend this week, Elbert Johns Jr. He was many years my senior, but I consider him one of the few defining influences in my life. At TheArcLink, he and I handled significant progress in developmental disability programs and applications. We made a perfect duo, building on one anothers strengths. The thought that he will not be there to guide me into the future is indescribably horrifying, but just as indescribable is how grateful I am to have worked under him and gained the insight he passed on to me. I now head the helm of our organization, his vision burned into my mind, and though I know I won’t be handling the reins alone for long, I have no doubts that he laid the groundwork for me to rise to this challenge. You will be always remembered for the man of strong will and kind words Elbert.
I’ve decided Mama Bear and I will follow through with the trip to New York to The Last Hope. I believe Elbert would have wanted me to continue with these plans, it is something I have been looking forward to for a very long time. It is difficult for me as I will miss his memorial, but I will return a great deal smarter and re-energized to handle the new load that weighs upon me. I made no progress today on the various tasks I aim to complete; the day was filled with administrative duties.
No time is a good time to lose someone such as Elbert, but this is about the absolute worst. We were handling most of the registration information on a national conference, SABE 2008, and today was the last day for registrants to get a reduced rate. There are strict policies in place with our organization, as defined by our Board of Directors, that can really handicap someone. I was not even authorized to open mail. The simple things that I always took for granted because they were his duties have been laid in my lap to ensure the highest priority duties are carried out. We were developing a plan to handle his extended absence, but even these details are still in development. Indeed, the road ahead is both uphill and dreary, but I will walk it the same and emerge from a higher vantage point as a result.
I will make HOPE a memorable experience; Mama Bear and myself will enjoy ourselves and take advantage of everything we can in this new experience. Though I know his permanent absence will weigh on me from time to time, his memory makes me optimistic about what the future holds for me, my family, and the organization.
On a lighter note, my 2.0GB SD card with all of my most important passwords and documents got washed in a pair of pants. Though I was sure the SD connections would not work after being washed and dried, I thought the USB connections (I have a SD Plus, the best kind of SD card) would work. The first connection gave me the dreaded “Unknown USB Device”, but I followed the standard device uninstall/reinstall, and VOILA!, the card was recognized. I then copied all the files to the local hard drive for safe keeping and tried the card in the SD slot. It’s still kicking, though I won’t expect it to for very long, but I’m in need of an upgrade anyway.
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