On June 28, Aileen Wilson plans to slip out the door of the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce with no one the wiser.
Chances are, that?s not going to happen.
If anyone, Aileen has been the face of the Chamber for the past 15 years.
?I?ve been through six directors,? she said as Chamber secretary and receptionist, and then mused, ?Maybe I?ve been too hard on them.?
At age 81, Aileen is a study in how to advance gracefully, actively, and happily through life.
?I just never seemed to be able to stay home,? she said of her varied career.
But now, ?I?m ready. My yard needs attention. My house needs ?weeding,? too.?
At the mention of Marie Kondo, the Japanese purging guru, Aileen seemed intrigued.
?Yes, I?ve a few things,? she said as she looked around her numerous rooms chock full of collectibles ? porcelain dolls, teapots, angels and butter dishes. There?s also her late husband Herb?s rock collection. As an accomplished flint-knapper, Herb made dozens of knives, arrowheads, items of jewelry and polished stones.
And then there?s the ?off-limits? room.
?It?s closed for reconstruction, has been for several years. Reorganization, I should say.?
Behind that mysterious door lay, ?Papers. They start on my kitchen table, but then someone comes over and I sweep them in there,? from whence they never emerge.
?That?s one of my goals, too, when I retire,? she sighed, as if to reconsider whether it was worth it.
Surely something else will come up to save her from that day.
Aileen bemoans the fact that her things hold little appeal for her children and grandchildren.
?They don?t have any interest in the china, stuff we thought was real important.?
AILEEN protests that she?s not worthy of a story.
?Now my sister, she?s a good talker.?
That would be Phyllis Parr of Colorado Springs, who is 82. Aileen also has a younger brother, Dwight Mynatt of Moran.
