About a month ago, Bennett and I signed up to be "friendly visitors" at a local Center for Aging. I thought it would be nice for the two of us to get out and do something good since we have all this free time in the afternoons.
We had our first volunteer session yesterday. We went for about an hour so that I could gauge how well Bennett would handle it. It took him a little while to warm up to some of the folks, but in general - we had a good time. He loved wearing a nametag, which surprised me. I figured he would rip it right off!
We walked down the halls looking for large gathering spots to chat with residents. While we were in one spot, the fire alarm rang . . . and kept ringing. But no one moved. It was the most bizarre and un-natural thing I've ever experienced. Bennett didn't seem to mind the noise, though, which was good. So, we sat in a dining room and chatted with the folks who were there, including one of the employees who gave Bennett an apple to eat.
As we were walking out, we ran into a couple of gentlemen who were riding in their wheelchairs headed back to their rooms, which were across the hall from each other. One reached out a hand and asked Bennett for a high five. Bennett obliged and continued to give this fella high fives! Then we had to leave - but I think this will easily be something we try to do each week. Bennett will develop a whole new crowd of admirers!
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