If you’re on social media for any amount of time, you frequently stumble across a meme reminding you, you should stop and smell the roses. Most of us would agree with that advice. But we’re too busy to do anything about it. If you really did take the time to stop and appreciate everything around you, you’d be aware of lot of things that you take for granted. For example, how often do you stand in front of your house and remark, “It’s a great day. My house didn’t burn down today.”

Norman Smith’s working life is devoted to making sure your house doesn’t catch fire. Norman’s company is called A Noble Chimney Sweep Services. Norman and his fleet of three trucks and 6 guys do, in fact, clean chimneys. They also prevent fire hazards with a host of services, including maintaining clothes dryer vents – a significant cause of house fires.

Another thing you probably take for granted is what’s called Executive Functioning: that list of stuff you need to get done today. You might have another list for the week, and you probably have stuff on the calendar for next month and beyond.

Imagine for a second that these Executive Functioning skills don’t come naturally to you. You miss appointments. You might even forget to pay your rent or house note. If you’re a kid in school, you don’t get your homework done, you have poor study skills, and you end up struggling, or failing.

Working with kids and older people who struggle with Executive Functioning issues is just one aspect of the work Jeanne Develle does at the Jefferson Speech and Language Center. Jeanne also works with people who have difficulties with speech, hearing, social skills, and all aspects of communication

Photos over lunch at Commander’s Palace by Jill Lafleur.