Just when you think good things don’t come from a simple trip to the grocery store, along comes a conversation like the one I had this morning. For background’s sake, a little primer. A family friend works for the Renfrew County Board of Education, apparently out of their Pembroke office. She knows someone who’s working with a kid who’s well on his way to going blind–he apparently doesn’t have much vision left and will have none before too long. This kid, on top of pretty much learning how to be blind, is also having to learn how to use the various adaptive pieces of equipment that are out there–like, for example, a screenreader so he’s not stuck recruiting a pair of working eyes to read things to him over his shoulder while he’s cruising the intertubes.
Apparently, from what I’ve been told, a conversation was had at some point yesterday and my name came up as a possible resource for this kid; specificly in the computerwise education department. It involved talk of potentially contracting me with the school board in order to give this kid a second education on top of the mandatory one he’s getting from his school. It’s a good enough fit, I think–blind dude doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing with the computer plus screenreading technology. Blind geek practically knows computers plus screenreading technology like the back of his hand. Even if it’s just a temporary thing, I don’t think I could dream up a better situation–at least until something comes along that looks better on paper.
I have absolutely no idea what a thing like this would involve, or for how long, or even what something like that pays–it’s the Renfrew County school board, though, so it may end up only paying minimum wage. Which is still better than what ODSP’s expecting me to live on until something else drops into my lap. Since this is a family friend we’re talking about though who’s apparently got the details, it won’t be hard to pull answers out of her. Which is what tonight’s plan will very likely consist of.
With this new thing and the OLS thing I’ve got in the fire already, something I’m doing has to stick you’d think. I’d like to think before Christmas I’ll end up working somewhere; it’s just a matter of where, when and for how long. And where I’ll eventually be moving to in order to put myself closer to the potential job site. If either of these things gets off the ground and leads to something else, I’ll be very happy. In the meantime, think I’ll go see what other potential projects of the money making variety I can scare up. And have as much fun as I possibly can in the meantime. See? Geekyness tends to have its positive sides after all. Potentially. But we’ll just not pay any attention to that minor detail.