Day Four: Thank you. SO much.

"I'm going to be old myself some day." ~Lilian Carter.
Today we explored other dynamics within the Appalred universe. The first move was to get the early bird special at the senior center, where we met with eight clients from the local community who wanted living wills or wanted to appoint someone with the power of attorney. Well, some wanted these legal instruments- some just wanted to talk. One fell in love with Susan. After we got the requisite information from the folks who wanted our representation, we had to head back (leaving broken hearts behind) to fit in a short movie on the Appalred mission before we left town for the afternoon. The video is available online for the curious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdn2Ml4jCck

"The meek shall inherit the Earth, but not its mineral rights." ~J. Paul Getty.

One of our last road trips out of Prestonsburg took us to neighboring Whitesburg, where an organization continues the original mission of Appalred, focused on coal issues, including Black Lung Disease, pension claims against the coal companies and environmental issues caused by mountaintop removal. The office is called Appalachian Citizen's Law Center, and it's run by Mary Cromer, Steve Sanders and Wes Addington (Wes was away at the time). As a guy who hugs trees and eats organic arugula, I was particularly interested in the headway against the coal industry and its detrimental effects on the environment and individuals' health. Apparently there isn't much to report, but we must fight on. http://mountainjusticesummer.org/

"The only thing better than free food is free Mexican food." ~John White

We concluded the day with a dinner at a local Mexican place, provided by local magnificent lawyer Ned Pillersdorf, and we were joined by a group from Vanderbilt who were also on an Alternative Spring Break in eastern Kentucky. It was muy sabrosa.

In conclusion, we have exhausted all the car games we can think of, which is not such a bad thing because I don't think I want to learn any more about the idiosyncrasic romantic habits of my car-mates, and at the homestead, the strain of having to share a single bathroom between eleven people of mixed gender is only just starting to show. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AST1fqB0p8&feature=PlayList&p=7E65605D3DBF1C80&playnext=1&index=7)

Tomorrow is our last full day in Kentucky, and while it seems to be jam-packed with activities, I'm starting to get those hints of nostalgia that makes me mist up at the reiteration of inside jokes and stare at my co-participants for awkward amounts of time and sigh audibly. Or maybe I'm in love, like an old guy at the senior center. If these guys walk out of my life, it might break my heart.