Learning the Alphabet

Saturday, I was asked to be docent at the Chestnut Ridge Historical Society and since my day was unclaimed, I agreed. I would have probably been there anyway. No one else had signed up and rather than to have the facility closed if anyone should show up, I decided I could open it up. Although I don’t know all of the ins and outs I am learning and often able to direst people with questions to the correct information.

I have been trying to close up the loose ends with sorting, filing, alphabetizing, and rearranging thing into a better type of arrangement in an attempt o make things easier to store and find. The task that was left undone was to sort and alphabetize the cards that the funeral homes give out to those who visit and pay last respects. There were about eight boxes of semi-sorted announcements. I say semi-sorted because someone had started until the system broke down and the pamphlets were just shoved in, in no order. Names with W were in with G’s and so forth.

Using the first and second letter of the last names, I began the task of labeling and placing them into piles in order. Once the cards with the same first 2 were in stacks, they were placed in their file boxes for easier access.

In four hours I managed to get names from A to Mc sorted and stored. In the checking of names, I was saddened by the number of people I was related to and to those who were friends. Some older from fellow church members, one in particular my dad would pick her up so she could attend church with us. She had no other way.

Other very familiar names came and went in a seemingly endless parade. So many cards passed through my fingers. It reminded me of my own mortality and that a person’s entire life could be reduced to a few faded lines in a folded note.

The other thing I got from wading into this gigantic task is allergies. Whether it was because of the dust or the inks, I’m not sure, but after I came home, I began to sneeze and my nose became so  congested. I now whistle when I breathe, but at least…I’m still breathing.