Tonight when I was milking Swampy, I had this odd moment when I was attempting to remember something connected to her but could not figure out what it was. It then felt like my thinking was swirling around. This made me very anxious. Ongoing and periodic headaches have also made me very anxious, and maybe for the same reason.

I took Tinni for a walk and realized that I had (I hope) experienced sensory overload. The evidence that this happened is near irrefutable. I’m trying to keep too many details in order. The book project – it grew faster than any of us could have predicted. The problem is, I am seen as the de facto leader. I don’t think I’d be involved if I wasn’t the leader. Funny how that works.

When I got home from my walk I sat down and wrote down what I need to remember – this lessened the anxiety somewhat. Something that would really help would be if we found a more permanent place for the books. Right now, the majority of the books are in boxes, in a small room. I need shelf space, so that I can be better organized and so that I don’t feel rushed about getting the books out in such short order.

The books go. This evening I attended the Kindergarten Night at the Larson Elementary School. Everything went like clockwork, beginning with the fact that I negotiated the three roundabouts on Bogard Road and easily found the school.

I was shown where I was to display my wares – right outside the gymnasium where the district schools were, in the hallway, next to the CCS Head Start table. They gave me a second table. I ended up with three tables. I unloaded Dog and Pony, by myself. I had a lot of books.

I watched the Head Start teachers set up their area. They had helium balloons, and, oh my dog no kidding, a helium balloon tank. I hinted that I wanted a hit, then remembered where I was and what I was doing. They had a tablecloth, and considerable swag, which included a Polaroid Camera and film.
I noticed that there was just one of me and a dozen Head Start workers. This drove home the enormity of my undertaking. In the future, I’ll recruit another person because doing events like this is at least a two-person job.

The kids and parents appeared – they did a loop, either first going into the gymnasium in one door and coming out the other, or vice-versa, stopping on the way to check out the Head Start program and the Bright Lights Books Project.

Most of the kids and their parents took books. I read books to two kids. One child was undecided as to whether or not he wanted the book I was reading to him. He took it when I finished – I remarked to his mother that “this was a hard sell.”

It also occurred to me that this is the part of the job that’s the most rewarding because you can see where you make a difference. Just watching the kids make a decision as to what book or books they’ll take home is revelatory. It’s like time stops.

Near the event’s end, I met Aaron who is the Head Start grant writer. Both Lynsey and Logan, our videographer, had described him as being a very kind person. They were right in their assessment. I told him what we were doing and where we were at in our grant acquisition process. He then provided me with considerable advice about how we should continue in attempting to acquire grants, then volunteered to give us an assist.

This was another instance of being in the right place at the right time.

I lessened my anxiety tonight by writing down what I need to do in the next month or so.

So many books, so little time.

Next: 117. 4/29/22 Who Let the Readers Out?