Revolving Doors and Farewells
This week I said goodbye to Elder Allen Blodgett. It just sucks.
I'm going to refer to him as Elder Blodgett out of respect for the title he holds as a missionary but I always called him Allen until recently.
Elder Blodgett and I knew each other before we ever met in person. I would read his blog and follow his posts on twitter and we would communicate through social media. To be honest I would get news from the church from his twitter posts before I would ever get news from the church.
He made his way to Salt Lake City last year where he worked on the Stage Crew for the choir and we met face to face. It was awkward for me in some ways. Knowing someone online and meeting them in person can be a weird experience for sure but we became fast friends.
He initially arrived and worked with the stage crew because health wise he could not serve a proselyting mission because of weight issues. During his time here I have seen him shrink. He has been eating well and exercising. He was able to put in his mission papers and will serve in the San Fernando California mission.
I was new to the choir and he was new as well. I felt as though we were going through things together and as he was transforming so was I. It was always nice to look out from the loft and to see a friendly face during the early Sunday morning rehearsals.
Elder Blodgett is an amazing soul and has an amazing drive to share the gospel. His twitter feed and posts are exactly what Elder Ballard suggested we do when he spoke during the BYU-Hawaii graduation ceremony on December 15, 2007. I was present during that speech. I remember being more motivated to participate in the dialogue online because of his words. If you look back at my involvement with social media and online, it began after that speech. Well, Allen is an example of someone who is doing exactly what Elder Ballard asked. Read Elder Ballard's comments HERE.
We sang "God Be With You" with him front and center after the broadcast. It was hard not to get emotional. Later that day I attended an open-house for Elder Blodgett and said goodbye. I'm really going to miss him.
I'm grateful for his example and I will always be a fan. I know he will do a great job on his mission.
This crazy revolving door of people coming and going is dizzying. As much as I would love to capture this experience in a bottle with the people I have grown to love I know that this is impossible. I guess it's the same with life in general. We come, we go, we move on and it is all part of the growth we need. As much as I hate saying goodbye to people I have grown close to I am more cognizant that I need to enjoy each moment as much as I can. I'm grateful for this experience. It has taught me so much.
