Written by Ben Cox – It’s time to recognize the people that make our lives easier, to shine a spotlight on the men and women of our community that work for us, even if we never know it. We present to you “Civic Spotlight.”
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This week we look at a person who is doing a job that never occurred to her that she’d be doing, and is loving every minute of it: Lehnis Railroad Museum Assistant Michelle Ezra.
Ezra has been with the Museum for almost two years as an assistant, which is a very low impact job description. “I assist the director do everything. I help set up the exhibits, help with special events, schedule all the events, birthday parties, meetings, everything!” (Our interview was conducted while she was washing dishes from a BNSF Railroad event held that very morning!)
“It was really kind of weird, I saw the position listed and said ‘that’s something different than I have ever done before’ and I said why not give it a shot and try something new.” Hired by former director Beverly Norris, Ezra says she has grown to love the position and the museum in her time there.
Despite having no working knowledge of railroading prior to her employment, Ezra says she was a fast study, and an even faster fan. “I knew I’d like it, and the more I did the job I realized I was right. I’m one of those people who enjoys going to work!”
The thing about the museum that surprises her the most isn’t an exhibit or trivia tidbit, it’s the fact that despite it having been in operation for a decade it is still unknown to some Brownwood residents. “They live here locally and don’t even know about it, or people have lived here their entire lives and have never been in here before.”
A ‘mom’ her “four legged babies” as Ezra refers to her animals, she and her husband reside on their farm in May. He is a retired off-shore oilfield worker who runs the farm and takes care of his dad, while she works in town at the museum.
Leisure time for Ezra is more down to earth and relaxing than active past-time, but that suits her just fine. “We just like to hang out, and watch the grass grow. When it grows! I like to garden, and my husband likes to spray a little water on it for me every now and again! We still do the Sunday afternoon dinner with the family, just simple stuff.”
A nurse by training, working for Lehnis is quite the departure from the OR and G.I. Lab, a change that is very welcome to Ezra. “Everybody here is having fun, they come her to have a good time. It’s always a good time, it’s always fun and educational. You’re always teaching somebody something or learning something!”
Erica Ezra, thank you for helping to keep the train on the tracks at Lehnis, as it were, and we hope to see you further on down the line!
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