Good evening fellow Tearjerkers. I thought I would take a few minutes, introduce myself, talk a little about my history with the Tearjerkers and what it means to me.
I live in Louisville Kentucky, 54 and widowed. Just me and my dog Snickers, the unofficial chapter mascot and welcoming committee!
Since selling our place at a lake in central Kentucky, I have struggled with finding the right camper. I have had several since that point, I started with a LG 4 Wide, then an LG 5 Wide, 6X10 Silver Shadow, Jayco A-Frame pop up, InTech Luna Rover, Casita 17' Spirit Deluxe, home built standy, Livin' Lite Camplite 10rd and currently a 2014 T@B 320 max S. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about campers, especially tiny campers but far from an expert.
I discovered the Tearjerkers after getting the 4 Wide in the summer of 2015. The first gathering I attended was the Bluegrass Chapter, June 2015 at Elkhorn Campground in Frankfort KY. I was immediately drawn to the group. I was welcomed, treated as one who had been to many gatherings for many years, not a brand-new member. I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience, attended my second gathering in October of that year at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. I wanted to attend the CRA that year in July but was unable to get time off work on short notice.
Quite a few years leading up to this, I had some personal challenges. After getting married in September of 1993, in April of 1994 my wife was diagnosed with MS and in a wheelchair. In May of 2003, after a major downturn, she ended up in skilled nursing care and passed in January of 2011. The nine years she was in skilled nursing care, I had little to no interaction with anyone outside of my family and medical professionals. I became almost a hermit, which was quite different from my normal self, a very outgoing person who loved being in groups, thrived on it. The gatherings allowed me to wander the group, hang out with others, join in on the meet and greets as well as the pitch in meals then if it was a bit overwhelming, I could go back to my site and chill. This did a great deal in helping me to reintegrate in groups and crowds, society basically. Something I will be eternally grateful for. I still occasionally get overwhelmed in large groups, when it happens during a gathering, I typically get quiet and sit in the rear of the group, some of you may have even noticed that at times.
About four years ago, in the fall the longtime Bluegrass Chapter Director stepped down and moved to Colorado. After a short term, in January of the following year the group had no director. Time went by and in May (I think) of that year, I reached out to Zach and Todd and offered to take on the director role. I simply could not sit back and watch as the chapter disappeared, it meant too much to me. I actually intended it to be temporary until another director was found. The first couple years, I really struggled, the schedule was set by the short-term director, and I wasn't able to attend them due to conflicts, then the following year as I set the gatherings, Covid kicked in and attendance was minimal. A gathering with only four trailers was disheartening, especially when the final gathering under the long-term director was 25, the most ever for a Bluegrass chapter gathering. Fortunately, that long term director and I had multiple conversations in which he talked me "off the ledge" (so to speak) a number of times. Since then, the group has begun to grow and thrive again, thanks to the help from my co-directors and the group as a whole.
When Zach reached out to me about becoming an administrator on the forum I was surprised, I kind of had to let it digest a bit. I wasn't (and still not sure) how much I can really add, my tech skills are minimal, still work fulltime and being widowed with no kids all the duties of home ownership fall on me, time isn't something I have a great deal of. Oddly enough, it wasn't even a thought to say no. This group means a great deal to me, the people I have met, things I have learned and experienced due to being a part are significant to me and worth whatever it takes. The majority of my working career has been in retail, sales (you know, the guy with all the junk at the CRA every year LOL) or customer service, until the last 10 years in warehousing. I think that is some of what I can add and contribute to the organization.
I look forward to meeting many more of you in time. My work schedule, and workload at home, limit my ability to travel long distances. I have attended a few of the Hoosier chapter gatherings as well as four of the CRA's, I hope to attend others in the future.
I also hope I can contribute enough to be worthy of the confidence that Zach and Todd have shown with the offer to become an administrator.
So, there you have it, cards on the table. Sharing all this with you simply so you know who I am, what the Tearjerkers mean to me, where I come from, and what I hope to bring to the table.
See you by the campfire soon!
B
I live in Louisville Kentucky, 54 and widowed. Just me and my dog Snickers, the unofficial chapter mascot and welcoming committee!
Since selling our place at a lake in central Kentucky, I have struggled with finding the right camper. I have had several since that point, I started with a LG 4 Wide, then an LG 5 Wide, 6X10 Silver Shadow, Jayco A-Frame pop up, InTech Luna Rover, Casita 17' Spirit Deluxe, home built standy, Livin' Lite Camplite 10rd and currently a 2014 T@B 320 max S. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about campers, especially tiny campers but far from an expert.
I discovered the Tearjerkers after getting the 4 Wide in the summer of 2015. The first gathering I attended was the Bluegrass Chapter, June 2015 at Elkhorn Campground in Frankfort KY. I was immediately drawn to the group. I was welcomed, treated as one who had been to many gatherings for many years, not a brand-new member. I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience, attended my second gathering in October of that year at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. I wanted to attend the CRA that year in July but was unable to get time off work on short notice.
Quite a few years leading up to this, I had some personal challenges. After getting married in September of 1993, in April of 1994 my wife was diagnosed with MS and in a wheelchair. In May of 2003, after a major downturn, she ended up in skilled nursing care and passed in January of 2011. The nine years she was in skilled nursing care, I had little to no interaction with anyone outside of my family and medical professionals. I became almost a hermit, which was quite different from my normal self, a very outgoing person who loved being in groups, thrived on it. The gatherings allowed me to wander the group, hang out with others, join in on the meet and greets as well as the pitch in meals then if it was a bit overwhelming, I could go back to my site and chill. This did a great deal in helping me to reintegrate in groups and crowds, society basically. Something I will be eternally grateful for. I still occasionally get overwhelmed in large groups, when it happens during a gathering, I typically get quiet and sit in the rear of the group, some of you may have even noticed that at times.
About four years ago, in the fall the longtime Bluegrass Chapter Director stepped down and moved to Colorado. After a short term, in January of the following year the group had no director. Time went by and in May (I think) of that year, I reached out to Zach and Todd and offered to take on the director role. I simply could not sit back and watch as the chapter disappeared, it meant too much to me. I actually intended it to be temporary until another director was found. The first couple years, I really struggled, the schedule was set by the short-term director, and I wasn't able to attend them due to conflicts, then the following year as I set the gatherings, Covid kicked in and attendance was minimal. A gathering with only four trailers was disheartening, especially when the final gathering under the long-term director was 25, the most ever for a Bluegrass chapter gathering. Fortunately, that long term director and I had multiple conversations in which he talked me "off the ledge" (so to speak) a number of times. Since then, the group has begun to grow and thrive again, thanks to the help from my co-directors and the group as a whole.
When Zach reached out to me about becoming an administrator on the forum I was surprised, I kind of had to let it digest a bit. I wasn't (and still not sure) how much I can really add, my tech skills are minimal, still work fulltime and being widowed with no kids all the duties of home ownership fall on me, time isn't something I have a great deal of. Oddly enough, it wasn't even a thought to say no. This group means a great deal to me, the people I have met, things I have learned and experienced due to being a part are significant to me and worth whatever it takes. The majority of my working career has been in retail, sales (you know, the guy with all the junk at the CRA every year LOL) or customer service, until the last 10 years in warehousing. I think that is some of what I can add and contribute to the organization.
I look forward to meeting many more of you in time. My work schedule, and workload at home, limit my ability to travel long distances. I have attended a few of the Hoosier chapter gatherings as well as four of the CRA's, I hope to attend others in the future.
I also hope I can contribute enough to be worthy of the confidence that Zach and Todd have shown with the offer to become an administrator.
So, there you have it, cards on the table. Sharing all this with you simply so you know who I am, what the Tearjerkers mean to me, where I come from, and what I hope to bring to the table.
See you by the campfire soon!
B
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