Friday, May 13, 2016

Spirit, tenacity and big heart


Many of you know my volunteer work for the Georgia Radio Reading Service for the blind, visually impaired or people who have difficulty with the printed word.  I record the New York Times Book Review, which airs once a week.  We have a blind board operator, Phil, who has been with GaRRs for at least 30 years.  He gets back and forth to work on public transit with only his white cane as a guide.

The volunteer coordinator sent an email this week that Phil fell at the train station, broke his nose, had to have several stitches in his lip and one knee, and also loosened some teeth.  She suggested he might like emails at home from volunteers to cheer him up a little.

I did send a hope-you-recover-quickly email and got this response:  "Hey Lynn!  Thank you so much!  Once again I appreciate so much the great job you do for us!  Keep it up as long as you can.  Hope to see you soon!  Phil"

I so admire his spirit, tenacity and his big heart.  No more words other than that today.

(Other than - have a great weekend!)

16 comments:

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Agree with your comments, Lynn, that Phil is one great person and please send my regards for a speedy recovery as well.

Louvregirl said...

He sounds so sweet, Lynn!

Kay G. said...

Pass along get well wishes from a fellow Georgian! I had never heard of this service before, what a wonderful thing!
And I love the email that he sent back to you, by the way, thanking YOU for your great work and downplaying what had happened to him, sounds like a great guy.

Fireblossom said...

So sorry to hear that he fell, but it sounds like it won't keep him down for very long!

desk49 said...

A heart that thinks of others
Is a true heart

Debra She Who Seeks said...

I hope Phil recovers quickly and well! When I was in university 40 years ago, I used to read books for blind students. And I worked at a place that did computerized braille transcription of text books for schools -- which was VERY technologically advanced in those days, LOL!

Cloudia said...

This whole post is uplifting, Lynn

Elephant's Child said...

What a special man. I hope he recovers quickly - and thank you so much for introducing him (and his amazing attitude).
Have a great weekend.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Lynn - yes a special man - I sure hope he heals completely ... he sounds amazing and so grateful for the support he gets from you and fellow volunteers - he'll enjoy seeing you again in the near future ...

Cheers and happy weekend - Hilary

G. B. Miller said...

Cool beans indeed. Hope he gets better soon and can once again serenade people with his can-do attitude.

Father Nature's Corner

Sparkling Red said...

Oh no, poor Phil! It's amazing how much damage one bad fall can do. I wish him a speedy recovery.

Granny Annie said...

So proud of you for this work that impacts so many lives. You deserve the accolades.

Lady Fi said...

Poor Phil!

Love that pop of red in your picture.

Snaggle Tooth said...

Nice to feel appreciated! You are a positive influence on the rest of us too!

LL Cool Joe said...

Poor Phil, and how brave he is to travel like that with just a cane. I hope he recovers soon. And I admire you for the good work you do in helping others.

Snaggle Tooth said...

That guy is gold!