Back in the saddle

Just a week shy of "The Accident," I was on the road again today to a Benefits training in Preble County. The drive was easy (and beautiful--gotta love those fall leaves!) but it doesn't mean I didn't cringe a little when applying my brakes. In time, I'm sure my fear of the car behind me will fade, but for now I'm still a little shell-shocked. I am happy to report, though, that I made it there and back all in one piece.

I trained 5 new counselors today from two new agencies: Butler Behavioral Health Services and the Preble County Council on Aging. This training was actually pretty close to my heart, because Alex and I personally recruited these two agencies! A representative from Butler Behavioral Health attended a presentation we held in Butler County, and we met the ladies from the Council on Aging on our Tour de Preble County. Less than a month after that cold-call visit, these two women were in my Benefits class and inviting me to lunch with them. How cool is that? I'm a proud mama.

All in all, the day was pretty typical--I feel like an old veteran on benefits, but of course, I'm still learning new things every time I teach a class. Here's my top 5 list of lessons learned today:

5. People tend to tune out instructions about remembering and writing down passwords.
4. When counselors start the first practice scenario, the room gets too quiet. We could use a radio in there...
3. A trip to Preble County isn't complete without being stopped at a railroad crossing for at least 5 minutes.
2. Counselors like the federal name for food stamps (SNAP) when explained with accompanying hand motions.
1. No one will ever complain about a class ending a little early (including me!)