@ahimsa . How did your library event go?
For a small event it went well!
I'm not sure whether we actually educated many new folks about ME. I did hand out a fair number of bookmarks but not very many information sheets. I think I may have educated more people in advance of our event when I was trying to put up flyers about Sunday's event!
Before our event I tried to get flyers posted on a few community bulletin boards - mostly libraries. I went to at least 5 (6?) different local branches of our library. And whenever I handed out a flyer I also gave out at least one bookmark. I think one librarian was familiar (knew someone with the illness) but most did not know about ME. I also dropped off a flyer at a nearby grocery store that has a community bulletin board.
But I am thrilled with how many folks I notified showed up to support me on Sunday. Check out the photos here:
https://meaction.smugmug.com/MillionsMissing-2019/United-States/Portland-OR/
At one point there were 14 people there (13 in the photo but my husband took the photo). I'm in the red shirt.
If my memory is correct (unlikely, but here I go anyway

) there were 3 patients with ME, myself and two others. There was one person who had a daughter with ME. And one local ME patient who could not attend sent me something that was displayed on my poster.
The rest were either friends and neighbors of mine (a few have other diagnoses so I don't want to mislabel them as "healthy allies") or friends and family members of other folks who came.
I want to share one story. My husband had to make several trips to get all the stuff from the car to where we set up. When we started packing up to go he took our folding table and umbrella and walked to the car.
I was waiting, just sitting on a chair, when a young boy (12 or 13) walked over. He had been skateboarding near us for maybe an hour. I had talked to him earlier about his skateboarding moves (I enjoy talking to kids) and gave him a bookmark.
He was concerned so he asked me, "Why did that man take away your table and umbrella?" I guess it looked weird for me to be just sitting on the chair waiting! It was kind of sweet of him to be worried about me. I explained that the man was my husband and we had finished our event and we were now packing up to leave.
Then he asked me a few more questions about ME. I tried to explain using myself as an example. I said that I had to go home and lie down after sitting at the table for 3 hours. I said some people were even more sick and couldn't attend this event in person. I explained we were trying to get people to understand how serious this illness could be.
Then he asked if he could donate. (and I'm tearing up just thinking about it) I said I wasn't taking money but he could go to the website link on the bookmark if he wanted to donate. He said that he needed to get permission from his father but that he wanted to donate.
It's possible that he was just being nice, I don't know. But I thought it was very touching of him to come over to me and make sure I was okay. And if nothing else, maybe he'll pass on information about ME to his father.
