Life goes on after entering a nursing home. There's still romance, heartbreak, drama and even frienemies!One feisty 75 year-old resident is having man trouble with her 64 year-old boyfriend (he visits his mother who is also a resident). She sat up front with me for over 3 hours bashing him while I commiserated. He's a slob, he's out-of shape, he's too domineering, he talks too much, etc. etc.etc. She likes a well-dressed man with good manners & a cute tush . Her words, not mine!! However, when he showed up to visit his mom that afternoon, it was all coochie-coo & sweetie-pie. Imagine that!
Then, one dear lady who is having a disagreement with another resident came up to me to ask if I knew whether pineapples grew on trees or on the ground. I said neither, they grow on these thick stalks above the ground....I think. Next thing you know they're both in front of me wanting to know who's Closer to being right. I was very diplomatic and watched them walk back to the dining room holding hands, still snipping at each other the whole way.
There's a sweet, sweet man that comes up to the front desk twice a day and sits on the bench by me either napping or telling stories. Now, he is deaf so sometimes it sounds like he's yelling because he always raises his voice so that I can hear him better. :) I love the one when he's in 8th grade and meets the most beautiful girl in the world. He was so shy and she was like a "pretty rose". He goes on and on...reminiscing - I thought for sure he had married his middle-school sweetheart. So I ask him "Did you marry her?" "No" he said. "She's the one that got away." He cracks me up!
There are the rare times where I just don't feel like going to work because it's the weekend and I'd rather be outside or doing something fun or productive but...I do love my little friends there who make time to come up and visit with me, chitchat & gossip about the going-on's. I wouldn't give it up for anything!
