I'm Back, Baby I'm Back
Here's the best story from my weekend trip to Rural, Ontario to visit certain family members. While in the nursing home where my mother lives (probably for the rest of her life), my daughter decided to play the piano in the lounge area. Just then, an aged woman ambled in and said: "how wonderful." My son was trying his best to interfere with his sister's piano recital, but the old woman repeated her refrain: "how wonderful, how wonderful" even as the protests commenced and the voices of the children became louder and louder.
She went on: "I was a school teacher." I felt a bit sad for her, but also was happy that these two children, now getting seriously irritated with one another over piano access, brought her some joy. While my daughter played a lovely rendition of Doe, a deer, a female deer, the ancient women found a seat, spread out a large absorbent pad (I suppose in the event of spontaneous incontinence), had a seat, and stared out the window.
While chatting with my sister and my mother, I heard snippets of the babble coming from the old lady, such as: "a school teacher...lovely, I was a school teacher..." I suppose she had gotten lost in her reminiscences. Seconds later, without any warning, she let out a loud "bitch!"
The good news is that this caused my mother to laugh. "What's she going on about now?" my mother asked. "She's a crazy one." I laughed a bit too, and then wondered if she had been my one of my school teachers, but decided against the possibility.
***
I feel like I have been away from work for a week, mostly because I have. I was at a conference last week (sorry, no review for you today, or ever, if you are lucky). On Monday, when I should have been enjoying an extra long weekend, thanks to Canada Day falling on a Tuesday, I was at an appointment with a retinal specialist, who confirmed that I have two "potentially dangerous" retinal tears. I think half of Toronto was in his office that day. He lasered one tear after a wait with dozens of others needing similar treatments. I go back in three weeks for another laser weld job.
I have spent most of today in meetings, which is not a good thing.
7 comments:
My cousin, who is a nurse in a nursing home, gave me the best advice about visiting: "Always sit in the vinyl chairs; they aren't absorbent and can be wiped off."
I stand up a lot when I visit nursing homes now.
That's really good advice.
I think that "schoolteacher" and "bitch" totally go together.
I am thinking good thoughts for the retinal tear situation. Did the one you had lasered hurt a lot? Is it supposed to help your vision much?
Ryan has pellucid marginal degeneration and he's had all kinds of specialists and the guys who are designing the contacts poking at him. He said to pass along his best wishes.
The laser didn't really hurt and it was quick. Unfortunately, it has no positive impact on my vision. Everything is the same. I'm sorry to hear about Ryan's pellucid marginal degeneration. That sounds much worse than my situation. Give him my best wishes :-)
Hope the peepers are well.
I usually dont sit when I am in Nursing homes because to be honest I dont ahve anyone to visit there anyway.
There's something about visits to an old age home (retirement home, whatever...) that can sometimes do wonders for your heart.
On of my most recent visits with my grandma was excellent in reminding me that the people at these homes are people and they deserve all the humour and love we can give them.
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