Monday, May 9, 2011

What's In A Name?

As I said in my last post I worked with a resident at Croft Place last Wednesday, transplanting strawberries and training some roses up brand new trellises. For part of that project I had two young kids, a brother and sister, eagerly helping me. The boy occasionally comes to Garden Club, which is every Tuesday. But whenever he sees me he excitedly says "It's Gardening Club!" and asks what we are going to do. He's only 5, so in the past I've just assumed that he doesn't quite grasp that the Club is only on Tuesdays. He sees me there and automatically assumes it must be Garden Club. Makes sense. I simply remind him that Garden Club is on Tuesdays and tell him I'm glad he's so excited for the next one.

After he helped me work the soil in the strawberry patch last Wednesday he had to leave with his family. As he was getting into their car, he waved to me and shouted "Goodbye Gardening Club!" As I waved back and thanked him for his help, it hit me. All this time I thought he just connected my presence at his apartments with having Garden Club, and thus would excitedly and mistakenly proclaim that Gardening Club was happening. However, I now realize that this whole time he has actually been referring to me as Gardening Club. Looking back, it makes so much sense. He calls me Gardening Club because he's too young to remember my name. And you know, I'm kind of okay with that.

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