the morning how's it going there is west and this we got west is here and I'm here I don't see dog boy yet I think you'll be here soon I just seen him a message a moment ago and there he is let you go boy let me buddy okay so we got all three of us together guys and the purpose of this interview is to talk to Wesley Evan Hillman about his job and what he's doing and anything that he wants to tell us about himself. So, Wes, I'm going to be still now and you can talk to us and then we'll ask you whatever questions seem appropriate. Well, that is brother with, isn't it? Yes, it is.
Alright. Well, guys, it's a first of all, it's great to be on here with you all. And I've been looking forward to this for a while and it is really great to be talking with you guys this morning. And what I do for my job at the Clinton Presidential Center is help out in the museum area.
I get to meet all the tourists and tell them about all the different exhibits we have and show them around. I have had the honor of meeting people from all over the world and all over the United States. I mean, you can pretty much name a country and I've probably met somebody from there. I have even met President Clinton himself.
Well, with, oh, how long have you been doing this? I've been at the Clinton Library since April of this year and I started right at the beginning of April, around April the 4th and I figured I would volunteer at the Clinton Library because it would help me to network with people since I am trying to find a full-time job that does pay. I figured this would be something that would look really good on a resume and it would just really help me to get out there to meet people from all over the world and learn a lot about not just our nation's history and world's history, but even some of that Arkansas history as well. Are you particularly interested in history?
I would think it would be to do that job. Yes, sir. That is correct. Do you?
Hello? I mean, what is your... Are you doing a job now? Are you looking for a job that thinks that they would look good on your resume?
Well, I am. This is what I'm doing right now until I can find me a full-time job that's paying job. And so this is what I am doing, you know, I figured I'd volunteer my time right now instead of just... Because the thing is I don't want to just be sitting at home doing nothing when I am capable of getting out and providing a service to people and being able to help out where I can.
Well, with I tell you that's very, that's very honorable. How many hours would they volunteer there to win? Well, a dog boy, I am there on Tuesdays and Fridays from nine until five. And it's really interesting because everybody who works in the museum area are volunteers.
Many of them are people who have retired. There's a few of us who are young like I am. And usually it's people, most of the time, that have retired and everybody gets to set their own time or when they want to be there and what days they want to be there. And it really has...
the job has some great benefits for instance, we get 15% off in the restaurant that we have at the Clinton Presidential Center. It's called... they actually just reopened it and it's called 42 Barn Table. It used to only be open for lunch from 11 to 2 o'clock Monday through Saturday.
But now it's even open at dinner time from five until 10 at night, Thursday through Saturday. Really? Well, that is very interesting and I wanted to say you mentioned, on the outside of our interview that you had been looking forward to it for a long time, I'd like to say that we have food. We've been looking forward to talking with you.
Well, I think I knew we were all looking forward to this and it's really nice. You guys are able to do these interviews with myself and many of the other people that listened to the show and were able to provide these podcasts to people. It's amazing to really have the technology that we have today to do what we do. It really is.
I'll tell you, we've interviewed a couple of people. I'll tell you, we're getting more... if you will spread out, there's more people listening than ever. That's really great to hear.
I figured that we were getting more people as time has gone on with the way that technology has been proving. Well, I've been... I listened to a podcast from my ex-grandmother every week. He talks about people 42, a people's bar, 42, so I've heard all about it.
They have quite a variety down there, don't they? As far as eating is concerned? Yes, sir, they do. They have everything from burgers, sandwiches, to salads.
I know the other day I had a salad that had steak and it was really good and the desserts there are really wonderful as well. I beat the house with you. Don't go as down the street and I never heard of it. It's been in the Clinton library and it's...
what was the name of the former name of it? The famous Dutch name just recently. It just used to be called 42. It's actually one of the few Presidential libraries.
Cleans library is one of the few that actually has a restaurant in it. George W. Bush's library also has a restaurant in it and his is called 43. Let me ask you...
I don't know any... I've never used this particular feature of this. If they limit this podcast, we'll come back to another section because I want to make sure we cover all the aspects when we're talking. But I want to ask you, why do they call you Brother West?
Well, the whole Brother West name comes from a lot of the people have church they call me that and that's just a name back there. Because whenever I got on Burell last year, they said to come up with some kind of nickname and I figured I would just put down Brother West because that's what a lot of people know me as, especially at church and I figured that would be something that was very unique and it stands out. We've done... we've known you as Brother West for a long time.
West, you are a Baptist minister. Is that correct? Yes, sir. That is.
Do you have a church? Are you pastor of a church now? Or do you just... what is your function as a Baptist minister?
Well, I am not pastoring a church right now. However, out at my home church at West Side Baptist in Jacksonville, I am pretty much the associate pastor. I don't get paid to do that, but I usually will preach about once a month and then in case something happens to my pastor out there, I can fill in for him whenever he's out of town or what have you. And I also do get to preach sometimes at other churches as well.
I have one of my preacher friends. Pastor is a church at Grirrs Ferry. I've preached up there a few times. Here, a little over a month ago, I got to preach up this little church I've been going to, saw this down the street from me where I'm living at now in North Little Rock and the church that I got to preach out.
It's called First General Baptist Church. Now, I wanted to ask you, as an understanding, you are totally blind. So, does this create any problems with you and your volunteer work? Or how do you cope with that fact that you are blind?
Because I think our interests, our listeners would be very interested in this. Well, Buster Jack, I'll go ahead and explain a little bit about my visual impairment. Actually, I am totally blind in my left eye. My left eye is a prosthetic eye.
And I actually can see some out of my right eye. God has really blessed me to be able to still have some of my side left and my right eye. And I'm able to still see good enough to get around. And whenever I am in unfamiliar areas or what have you, I do music.
Or like if I'm in downtown Little Rock or what have you, because you just never know what obstacles may be about. But I'm very fortunate to still have the eyesight that I do have. But I will tell you that, all the volunteer work and different things that I do, such as what I do at the Clinton Presidential Center, everybody is very accommodating to me. Because I'm not the only person there who has a disability.
And I really have another gentleman that volunteers with us who is hearing impaired and we just all work together to help each other out. And that's one thing I love about volunteering at the Clinton Library is that we help each other with whatever comes our way. Of course, I want to make sure everybody understands that. I'm asking these questions because our listeners are not here and they want to know about these things.
Of course, we have these problems too. We have a double and I do. We're down here on the street bar. So we have these problems too, so we know all about it.
But I'm asking for a benefit of our listeners. That's completely understandable. There's nothing wrong with you asking about that because it's good. Because we as people who have disabilities, we need to be out there telling people about how we live and how we make it day by day.
Because how else are people going to be educated about these issues. We have to teach people what we can do and just show them that we are able to contribute to society and be productive citizens. Well, I couldn't agree with you, Howard. And I want to say that the next interview that we do, I want to talk to you specifically about people that you have met.
In other words, you can sort of, if you would, keep a diary or keep it your head if you can. People that you have met and interesting people that you have talked to or interested in experiences that you've had in your volunteer work. And of course, I will also want to know if you're having any successes as far as finding important. But Doug, do you have any other questions that you want to ask before we give it to Wes and let him wind it up?
Well, you know, I've been a friend of Wes for a long time and he's an honor to that too. I want to ask you, Wes, a little off the subject of the volunteering and further delivery. If you wouldn't mind to tell me, I also have a left by left eyes also for aesthetic. Did you lose that eye for glaucoma?
Yes, sir. That is correct. I did too. I was very fortunate to have a good right eye.
But I lost my left eye for glaucoma. Where did you have this prosthetic made if you don't mind me asking? I had it made this doctor named Dr. Bob out of Memphis.
I forget his last name, but they made my prosthetic eye. Well, let me tell you who made mine. You'll find it interesting. I think you know Dale Wright's in here up in school.
Oh, yeah. His brother works at the Aloplastic Appear. They make mine. Oh, wow.
Right up here. They moved there up there on Mark. I'm not very poor school now. I see him every time I go in there.
I appreciate you telling me I didn't mean to be old. Oh, no. I think it's no problem at all. No problem at all.
No problem at all. Well, thank you, Wes. You're welcome. And you know, I've seen Dale a few months back and he told me I know his sore little off topic too.
But he said you got rid of them old antique cars that dad and always locked that you had. I did. Yeah. I sold them both.
Somebody wanted them and I let them go. I have so much to do here at the house since I retired and everything. So I just I hated it, but I didn't really have time for it. Well, it's understandable.
I mean, I know over time my dad is, you know, so things and has gone to where he doesn't do as much with cars like he used to. So I'm getting old. Yeah. Yeah.
We all are unfortunately. Well, I'm going to I'm going to wind this up by saying that it has been so nice having you and dog boy on the program today. And I'm looking forward to doing another interview with you and on the subject that I mentioned a few moments ago. So I'm going to say goodbye to you and let you wind it up.
Well, all right, buster, Jack and dog boy. It's really been a great honor being on here with you guys today and it's been a pleasure to the next interview. I'm going to say goodbye because there's definitely a lot more to talk about and hopefully they'll let me come down to pay farms sometime. We have a church service or something.
They can't. Well, they do. They do. Well, it would help all of us.
I think West good talking to you and we'll be getting together real soon. All right, you guys. You're the best day. You're the pleasure.
Yeah. You have just listened to an interview with brother West Hillman, friend, volunteer and heck of a nice guy. And I hope you enjoyed hearing from him. I know you did and you will hear from him again in the future.