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President’s Pen
IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL
Written by
OSEA State President Merlene Martin
It is 2007! I hope that this new year will be a great one for OSEA and all our members and friends. I will do my best to make that happen for OSEA as your elected president.
Personally, 2006 was a tough year for my family. My husband Jesse experienced complications from a surgery he had several months ago. Faced with Jesse’s life threatening health issues, we— as a family—wondered what is going to happen. It was very scary for all of us and yet it brought us closer together. We were all there for one another in ways that we never had to be before. We grew individually and as a family. We are all stronger for this struggle that we have shared.
At Christmas, we celebrated together, thankful for life and each other. Gifts seemed insignificant as we were reminded of more important things. I don’t think we will ever forget the feelings of love and thankfulness that surrounded us this Christmas.
I would like to thank my OSEA family for all the support, hope and love during this time. As I said, we were all very aware and grateful for our family and I am so proud to include OSEA as my family. I am so lucky to be part of this great union, this great family!
During this scary, sad and stressful time, some interesting moments happened that I would like to share with you.
As I was in and out of the hospital, and used the valet services, I was on a first-name basis with the valets, Dan and Jo Ann. They were so great helping me with parking my car and assisting me with my wheelchair. We shared many conversations during my twice daily visits on the way to Salem and on the way home. During those chats, I found out that Jo Ann’s brother is going to work for Head Start as a bus driver and will be part of our union! It was fun sharing information about OSEA that she could pass on to him.
On another day, I took Jesse to his work site to bring his employer and co-worker up to date on his health status. I found myself visiting with a gentleman named Rick who was purchasing products for his place of work. As our conversation went on, I learned that Rick is a member of OSEA in Winston-Dillard. I was excited to talk to him and tell him more about his union.
We live in a small world and, even in your weakest moments, it pays to be friendly and thoughtful. You never know who you might be talking to!
A similar situation happened to Executive Director Steven Araujo while he was shopping. A gentleman who was standing in the checkout line with him recognized him from his picture in the Journal. He shared that he reads Steven’s article in the Journal regularly. He is not a member of OSEA, but his wife is.
What a small world we live in! There is so much value in chatting and enjoying the people around you as you walk through life. We are all so busy and caught up in our daily lives, our worries and our pleasures that we miss out on possibly meeting a wonderful person, a fellow union member or a neighbor down the street.
Don’t let the opportunity to share a word or two with a stranger pass you by. You might find that it lessens your or their burden, if only for a few moments. There are so many wonderful people in this world that you have yet to meet. Meet one of them today and, you never know, you may find out they belong to your union!