Tuesday, October 18, 2005

You Have Probably Wondered Why

There are no entries for past five days. I dunno why.

There are always the starter ideas of the Saturday Six, or the Sunday Seven, or "By the way's" Weekend assignment, or the Photo Scavenger Hunt, or the Round Robin, or the Photo Assignment, or the Jabber Jar. Perhaps that's the problem, knowing where to start.

Wilma took her first outing on her new scooter. I went too, to Starbucks.  Then the next day we took an adventurous ride across M and Olive streets to the Mall.  We navigated Longs drug store successfully, and decided to try Baskin and Robbins 31 Flavors Ice cream but it was crowded with people no place for two scooters.

On through the mall we went to the food court.  Wilma was oohing and ahing at her new freedom. We found a frozen yoghurt store and each got a chocolate cone. We pulled into a corner and licked as fast as we could to keep them from dripping down our sleeves. We ate so fast we got "brain freeze", that horrible pain you get when you eat ice cream too fast. We each chucked the last half away and started home.

When we got home we were greeted by new resident, Bob, who asked where he could get a haircut. "Oh,"  I said, "Wilma and I have just come from the mall.  There is a barber shop open at the far end."

"Can I walk there? How do I get there?" Bob asked.

I went with him to the sidewalk and explained the directions, but he seemed a bit uncertain, and I repeated them. He was about to depart when a caregiver came rushing toward us.

Bob said, "Oh, oh, here comes that woman.  Don't say anything. She's gonna talk me out of going." 

"He's not allowed to leave the premises," the caregiver told me.

It is ironic.  Bob is tall and stands straight and walks without any support, one of the few residents who could walk the six blocks to the barber shop, but he can't because he would get lost.

The only other resident, tall and straight, and walking unaided is Nancy, and she is already lost between her room and the dining hall.

In fact, the second most common question asked at the old folks home is "which way is my room?"  The first most common question, and the most popular topic of conversation at the dinner table, is "What day is this?"

And we argue about it.  What sense is there in arguing about the day of the week?  Either it IS Tuesday or it ISN'T, and arguing won't make any difference.

There is no sense arguing about being old, either.  Either you ARE or you AREN'T.  And we ARE.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad Wilma got out.

Krissy
http://journals.aol.com/fisherkristina/SometimesIThink

Anonymous said...

this one really made me smile.............love ya Chuck!!!! Bambi

Anonymous said...

Sometimes I have too much to write about and I just don't write, too.  Too many thoughts in my head.  I get writer's block.  I feel scattered.  Hmm...  Hey, take care and sending hugs :-) xox
http://journals.aol.com/valphish/ValsThoughts

Anonymous said...

I got a chuckle out of arguing about the day. And you're right. What difference does it make!  Have a great day, what ever day it is. : )
Candace

Anonymous said...

Dad, you didn't tell about creating "virtual" parking lot circles yesterday!  It was fun to see you out as I was rushing by on errands.  Poor Bob, and Nancy.  There are some things better than being able to walk, eh?
Love, Kate

Anonymous said...

Chuck,

Take your scooter and pin the Social Services Critter to the wall and introduce Her Numbness to the concept of a Blackboard, posted across from the Nurse's Station that they put the day and date on, the weather forcast (snow, rain, sunny, etc) and also list any holidays or special significance to the day. Every place my wife (Geriatric Nursing Specialist) has ever worked has had one. Keeps the questions down to a dull roar.

By the way, don't you guys get the morning paper? There's far better things to argue about (and you'll get more riled up) over coffee when you've read the daily snooze...

wil

Anonymous said...

Hmm. Much better to have freedom on a scooter than be a prisoner of your own mind, eh? Poor Bob.

Anonymous said...

I guess the best of the two worlds is to still have your mind and not your legs. I think the reverse is worse. I use to have an elderly neighbor who would come over to ask what day it is. She said if you don't punch a time clock you don't know what day it is. I miss her so. Paula

Anonymous said...

I am so glad that you have your mind instead of legs-and a scooter to get around on, too, with Wilma and her new scooter. What's this about wheelies? Margo

Anonymous said...

I'm glad your scooter is working again.  Last I heard, it was outta juice!

At one of the places my mom stayed toward the end of her life, there was a big display posted in every corridor.  It would say something like this:

TODAY IS:  TUESDAY
THE MONTH IS: OCTOBER
THE DATE IS: 17th
THE SEASON IS: FALL
THE NEXT HOLIDAY IS:  HALLOWEEN

Karen

Anonymous said...

Hey Chuck,  Always enjoy your entries!  Thanks for keeping us posted.  We all know if we live long enough, we can be you r neighbor. Just got back from th gulf Coast, and are now in Florida Awaiting WILMA!  We wish it was Wilma on her scooter.  
Give Wilma a hug for us, and glad to hear you are still 'crusin'.
Jack  'ShipsLog'