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Member Worker
Profile: Dennis Ryan
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by Hope Perlman
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Meet member worker Dennis
Ryan. He has been a member only since January 2009, but you probably
will recognize him.
He's been shopping at the Honest Weight Food Co-op since it was on
Quail Street. He started coming to Honest Weight for Dr. Bronner's
Magic Soap, and "insidiously began to buy more and more here."
A number of factors, including ending a long career and realizing he
had become an unofficial part of the community, convinced Dennis it was
time to join, and so he made his membership official.
Dennis works Tuesdays, spending part of his time on database
management. He worked for several decades as a traveling systems
analyst, and now he helps keep track of member information and performs
other necessary tasks.
In the afternoons, he practices Reiki for the benefit of anyone who
cares to experience it. Reiki is a healing art, which channels
universal energy, also known as Chi, or Ki. According to Dennis, the
Reiki practitioner must "get his or her ego out of the way" in order to
channel this universal life force. Healing can happen by way of touch,
but touch is not necessary; in some situations, the Reiki master does
not even need to be in the same room with the recipient for healing to
occur. Practicing Reiki is one expression of Dennis' deep interest in
spirituality. A native of the Capital District, Dennis grew up in
Rensselaer. He attended college in the Bronx, and served in Viet Nam,
but has lived here ever since.
For many years, he volunteered on the board of the Bell Brook Club,
which, some time after World War I, purchased over 400 acres of
Adirondack wilderness, including a dam, and holds stewardship over the
land. The Bell Brook Club practices eco-friendly tree harvesting, money
from which is used to maintain the land.
Dennis is an avid motorcyclist. He prefers Suzukis, and would keep
several if he had the space. He has ridden from here to the Rockies and
back.
He also loves Minor League Baseball, an interest he shares with his
wife Sharon. They pick up tickets to games whenever they can, and make
a point of investigating what teams are playing wherever they vacation.
His favorite team is the Tri-City Valley Cats from Troy. After all the
years he spent living out of a suitcase, Dennis enjoys feeling part of
a community. For a long time, he has found community through Unity
Church in Albany, but now he includes the Co-op as an important
component in his life.
What began with a search for Dr. Bronner's soap has led him to a
complete change in lifestyle. He capped the transformation by joining
the Honest Weight formally, and plans to continue working here for the
foreseeable future.
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