50 Years, 50 Stories - Aneta

This “50 Years, 50 Stories” installment was provided by Aneta during a face to face interview with her at Imagine!’s Foothills Group Home in Boulder, Colorado, where Aneta lives. Aneta has been receiving services from Imagine! for more than 30 years.

My First Day at Work 30 Years Ago

By Aneta

Aneta at Foothills Group Home

I moved to Boulder from Arvada about 30 years ago, and I moved into Carmel House. I didn’t know anybody and I was scared. Jim Graves (the Director of Carmel) was a nice guy and he helped me to be more comfortable. He helped me to make new friends.

During the day I went to the workshop (on Broadway and Iris in Boulder). I took a taxi, and that in itself was quite an accomplishment to get into the taxi cab. When the taxi showed up and they said “Are you ready for work?” you better be ready and have what you needed for the day. I learned how to take care of myself.

At the workshop, Bob and Stacy Lawhead were both there, and they made it fun to come to work. My first job was putting bike brakes together. Stacy said, “I know this will be hard to do, but I’d like you to try it anyway.” I was afraid I wouldn’t finish in time, but Stacy said, “You have all day to do it, so don’t be scared.”

When asked how it turned out, Aneta pondered the question for about 20 seconds, then smiled and replied, “It turned out rather well.”

Are you interested in sharing your story for “50 Years, 50 Stories?” If so, contact Caroline Siegfried at caroline@imaginecolorado.org or 303-926-6405. We’d love to hear from you!