Back to the steps

9/9

Walking, carefully, down Amsterdam with Mim, my longest walk so far after surgery. Feeling very vulnerable.  First time to see the steps this week. The steps from the street to the door seem daunting. But I take them one at a time. And realize what Hope has told to tell me about no rail to hang on to when you reach the top.It takes some maneuvering.  I’m seeing a lot of things from a different perspective.

Inisde, Hope, Danielle, Mim and I are talking about the boiler. This  is the pricnciple issue in front of us. We’re on the verge of losing committted rentals if we can’t gaurantee heat. I don’t know what we have  to do to get a response from our city council member. It’s been six weeks since our community meeting, we feel stalled. Jammed up.

The green solutions seem to rquire having something to replace, not starting from scratch.  Does the asbestos have to be abated before work begins? Can it simply be encapsulted?  Is it possible at all to fire up one of the old ones, just for this winter? (Doesn’t seem to be.) We need to figure out the most efficient, cheapest way to do this and move forward. And where will the money come from? This is it right now. This is the challenge. 

Mim asks if I want her to wait to walk me home. I think for a minute. No, I’ll try it on my own. I think     I 'm ready.

It’s getting late. Time to pull together our service for the 10th anniversary of 9-11. Trying to figure out what’s possible with limited resources. Jane and Jeremy will be there to help. How much do we recreate from that first Sunday after’s experience? How much do we look back, and how much forward? 

I talk, Danielle types. Enough for today. Time to go. Danielle offers to go with me. I thank her. And head back up Amsterdam, on my own. One step at a time.