Interesting aged persons
15 May 2006
Started cleaning the windows at Mt Saint Canice (read: Old Peoples village) this afternoon. Now this is a particularly interesting task. They have really annoying fly screens so we have to enter each house, removing the window and clean the outside and then replace it. That’s not that interesting I hear you say.
Well don’t be so freakin impatient.
What makes it interesting is that I get to chat to the old people while I work. They are always pumped for a chat. Topics include “Family… You’d love my granddaughter. That’s her in the photo…” “The Weather… It’s too cold…” “Young people today… I mean look at the clothes they wear…”
I usually try to drop in conversation that I’ve been to Uni this usually stops them in their tracks and I can get a nice conversation dropping in the fact that I’m a Christian. Then it's time to make an escape. Here are some highlights from today.
Me: You lived here long?
Grandpa: Nah just moved here mate. My wife is the nursing home. She’s very sick.
Me: That’s no good what’s she sick with?
Grandpa: Emphysema
Me: That’s not good.
Grandpa: No they have given her heaps of morphine and other drugs to ease the pain. The Doctor says she could die anytime.
Me: Man that sucks. How come she got emphysema? I mean was there a cause?
Grandpa: Yeah she smoked for 20 years… I smoked for 42 years.
Me: So gave up a bit too late?
Grandpa: Yeah. *sighs*
Me: So do you still smoke?
Grandpa: No I gave up just like that.
Me: Really I’ve heard it’s hard.
Grandpa: That’s all bullshit… 42 Years smoking and I gave it up just like that. It’s all about willpower. If you want to give up you just do it. Don’t listen to the bullshit they tell you.
Me: Wow we just caught you in time…
Grandma: Yeah I just finished work. (What the heck working at her age you got to be kidding me).
Me: Wow!
Grandma: Yeah I started at 10 (It’s about 4:30)
Me: Where was that?
Grandma: Red Cross Centre. I do it 3 days a week. (Freak me sideways that’s a lot of work for a Grandma. I wonder how old she is…)
Me: If you don’t mind me asking how old are you?
Grandma: 93
Work was nicely book-ended with this (taken with my phone as I knocked off).
tags pictures, rant, thinking, windows
Posts
I like the dialogue. Would love to hear more snippets and stories!
Stay tunned I have a couple more coming. I'll also try some different styles. Let me know what you think.
I like the new one, except for calling her wrinkles!