Life mysteries-Part 2

As 2011 draws to a close tomorrow evening, I'm still left with a couple of life's mysteries yet to solve.  Since I have been working on them for several weeks now, not sure if that is going to be happening or not.  Guess time will tell.  


Those of you who have followed this blog from the beginning will remember the summer day in mid-June that I received an anonymous letter from a "friend" encouraging me to sign up for private adult swimming lessons at the local YMCA.  This unknown friend even went so far as to include an application for the lessons.  At the top of the application was the handwritten message, "Bucket List item #4-YOU CAN DO IT!"  So between the sender of this anonymous message and the insistence of my dear friend who felt like I needed to learn how to swim well enough to save my own life some day, well, I had no choice but to go to the YMCA and sign up.  What I didn't count on, when I made the half mile journey over to the local Y, was meeting this wonderful woman, shown below, who would end up becoming a new friend.  

Meet Cleta Ellington, front desk receptionist for the YMCA branch here in Hutchinson.  As far as I'm concerned, she has GOT to hold the title for "world's best secret keeper."  Turns out what ever unknown friend sent me the application went through Cleta and swore her to the utmost of secrecy.  On that first day we met, I intended to ask her who the person was who had sent it.  I no more than got the word "Who?" out before she looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Don't even bother asking. I'm not telling."  After my first set of 4 lessons were done in early July, I figured she'd "cave in" and tell me.   Nothing doing...she suddenly had this case of selective amnesia.  So today, over 6 months later I figured sure she would tell me this time...nothing doing!  And by the way, I even offered money this time.   So whoever you are, rest most assured that your secret is safe with Cleta because she 'aint' saying nothing!  


I stopped in at the YMCA this morning to take Cleta a diet Coke as part of Bucket List item #5, "to buy all of my FB friends a drink and talk about life".  Cleta, if I ever need to give a secret to anyone, it's a "no-brainer" who I'm looking up!


The other mystery that remains unsolved is the issue of where on earth the name "Eleanor" came from.  You might remember that after receiving the gift of bone from an unknown donor during "old lefty's" surgery in August, the name Eleanor popped into my head.  I felt so strongly that the name Eleanor had something to do with whoever it was.  I figured sure that my donor was a woman with that name.  When I learned a few weeks back that it was a 45-year old man from Missouri who was my donor, then I immediately began looking at names of Missouri counties or towns called Eleanor....maybe it was a street or something.  Once again, I came up with no definitive answer.  Really guys, I was ready to give up....that is until my sister arrived here from Oklahoma this afternoon.


 Out of the blue she said to me, "Peggy, did you know that the origin of the name Eleanor can refer to life?"  For crying out loud, why hadn't I thought about the possibility that the name that popped into my head that day in the recovery room didn't necessarily have to refer to a specific person, street, or town?  It didn't take long to learn even more about the assigned meanings of that name.


From the Greek language, derived from the word eleos, meaning compassion and from the Latin language, derived from the word lenire, meaning to soothe and heal.......that's what my Eleanor means.  From a man in Missouri to a woman in Kansas, the gift of "life", given and accepted with great "compassion" with the sole purpose of  "soothing and healing" a terribly broken arm.  You know, I'm thinking pretty sure that's a good enough explanation for me....what more could I possibly need to know?  Good night everyone!  Sweet dreams and good sleep to all.