Follow us:       |
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
|
|
Sections
Our Writers
- Important: All passwords were reset on 06/15/11. Old passwords will no longer work. Click here to retrieve your password.
- Login
- Logout
- Subscribe to Our Free Dewsletter
We are non-commercial, all volunteer and supported by our readers. Please help sustain the Dew by making a donation.
Eileen Dight
Number of posts: 26
Email address: email
Linkedin: Linkedin
Facebook: Facebook
Posts by Eileen Dight:
With both hands
Interpreting at the Free Clinic
I had an interesting morning yesterday at the Free Clinic. Once a week I’m a Spanish interpreter in an organization supported by over 400 volunteers who give a few hours a week of their particular expertise in a smoothly run team. We cater for patients with chronic conditions needing regular medication, having no access to health insurance.
Yesterday we met a new patient who is deaf and mute since birth.
Irish Holiday 2013
The Gathering
I can recommend a few days in Ireland to reset your clock: geographically, politically, economically and culturally. For those hazy about geography, Ireland is on the northwest edge of Europe. Clouds traversing the ocean from America absorb Atlantic moisture, dumping it at first landfall; hence Ireland’s rainy climate and its reputation as The Emerald Isle. I’m here for two weeks holiday, flying Dulles to Dublin with the son I live near in Virginia. He’s bound for England on business.
Asks Facebook
What’s On Your Mind?
Facebook is not the thinking man’s forum: it welcomes indiscriminately and publicizes everyone. Its opening prompt “What’s on your mind?” is designed to get you going. For many on Facebook the answer’s often trivial, like “I’m eating cornflakes.” Don’t tell us about your breakfast, unless it’s something intriguing like baked iguana or magic mushrooms.
Do Friends on Facebook really want to know about inconsequential activities? Having a haircut? Bored at work? Longing for Friday?
Precious Moments
On holiday with the twins
One of the drawbacks of having a large family is that you get little time to spend with individuals. I had five little boys under eight in 1971 and didn’t know what season it was, but the hours I was keenly aware of were 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m., 6 p.m., 10 pm., 2 a.m., bottle feeding twins around the clock. I didn’t let them cry in the night because their next older brother was sixteen months and I didn’t want to wake him up. The ones aged 6 and 8 would sleep through anything. So the occasions on which I spent quality time with one or another were few, but memorable.
The Accidental Expert
Jill of All Trades, Mistress of None
Ah! Here was my cue. When Spain entered the European Community in 1986 I realized I had an unusual set of skills to offer. While working in Madrid in my twenties I assimilated the business culture as well as social mores. I had fluent Spanish and few people in England speak Spanish. In those days few people in Spain spoke English either (that has changed now). In addition to this my Spanish boyfriend of thirty years earlier was now the Governor of the Bank of Spain. I thought I could offer a unique service to companies needing to find trading partners in Spain.
That Slender Chance
Obey The Last Order!
My father Frederick Naylor joined the British Army in 1915. So keen to fight for his country, he lied about his age, adding two years to his 17. An apprenticed fitter, he was sent to France to be a mechanic in the Royal Flying Corps, maintaining the airplanes, an innovation in a war still using horses.
To put the air war in perspective, the first time an airplane was used in combat was in 1911…
Heartbreaking
What makes you Wonder?
Nothing softens my heart more than being with my two grandchildren who live nearby in Virginia. Aged nine and six they are full of fun, personality, affection and potential. I went to their school event to encourage reading, where the teacher asked first graders “What makes you Wonder?” Jake, six, put his hand up and said “I wonder if penguins dream?” His brother Connor said quietly, “I wonder about Physics.” My heart melted at their innocence and depth. Kids are all special when you know them.
