Then I asked what the work involved.

He explained there would be tables to organize, receipts to record, and visitors to greet.

“I can do that,” I said.

For one afternoon in April, I stood behind a folding table in a church basement counting cash donations and answering questions.

I made two mistakes in the tally and corrected them before handing the sheet over.

A year earlier I would have been embarrassed to admit an error.

Now I could check my work without hearing Roger’s voice saying I should leave the numbers to someone who knew what he was doing.