One Never Knows

Sometimes, somethings have a way of working out that is surprising. One of those somethings occurred this morning. Today was a day during which I was getting boxes of things out of my house. [If you are new here, please know that I've made a concerted effort since Hunky Husband (HH) died to finish going through his and my paperwork and assorted stuff - for two reasons: 1) I like tidy surrounds (I know one cannot tell that by looking) and 2) I do not wish to leave a huge cleanout/cleanup task for family members when I follow HH.] There was a box for Goodwill, a box of electronics to eCycle, and a box of mostly paper stuff for elder daughter and husband (Dudette & WichiDude). 

On the way from my first stop (Goodwill) to the second (eCycle), my brain went active. (I would note this rare event in my diary if I kept one.) I came up with the thought that all of the electronics were pieces of amateur radio equipment (a couple of handheld transceivers, several Lithium Ion batteries of undetermined condition for the transceivers, and a rapid charger for the batteries) and that, although I no longer know any other local hams, the county's emergency management center includes a hideout for hams and their equipment. Hams, after all, can sometimes provide emergency communications during disaster response operations.

I carried the box of stuff into the county emergency management building and called the "receptionist" from the phone in the foyer. When I told her that I wanted to give the ham equipment away, thinking that I could leave it in the radio room with a "FOR STEAL" sign on it, she allowed as how she had no idea how to go about that. She immediately led me to the Director of Emergency Management, Weatherwitch. 

Weatherwitch eyed me...I eyed her...I explained why I was there...the "receptionist" left, surely out of boredom. The Director eyed me, again. "Are you [true first name]?" OMG! She and I had been fellow volunteers at the local American Red Cross, about 10-12 years ago*. We did a little catching up, exchanged contact information, and I left, but not before she had given me the information about next month's amateur radio club meeting, at which she is to give a presentation on storm safety. I plan to go, barring the unforeseen. HH had signed us up as members back in 1994, but I was working (HH retired in 1993) and I never attended a meeting. One assumes that our membership expired at some point along the way.

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*What made this meeting really interesting is something that Weatherwitch told me - that I probably had no idea what part I had played in her life. (She was right.) When we knew one another as American Red Cross volunteers, I was the lead person in the state of Kansas for government liaison work. She was interested in training to become a government liaison but was intimidated by the very idea of serving in an emergency operations center. And...now...she runs the county's emergency management department, including the county emergency operations center. What a career arc she has had. 

Some of the displays in her office prompted me to ask if she is retired USAF. Yes, she is. I did not remember that, if ever I knew. It will be a subject on which I can pump her for more information in future.

BTW: With a little prodding, Weatherwitch told me that she is working on finishing a PhD in Emergency Management. Impressive, eh?!