I met an attractive, well-kept woman, probably mid-70s, yesterday. She lives at the senior house where my father-in-law resides. She moved to Illinois from a southwestern state a month ago because, she said, her son said she couldn't live on her own anymore; she's been a widow for six months. There are a lot of nice stores about three blocks down the street from the house; I asked her if she had ever walked there. She said, no, they probably wouldn't let her, they would think she'd get lost.
She used to live in her own house, now she has one room to call her own because, besides the rooms of the other residents, the rest of the house is common areas. She said she loves to garden, had a big vegetable garden at her house, wants to garden at this new place. At this house, volunteers do the gardening. At one time in her life, I am very sure she told her son what to do, rather than the other way around. I am very sure that she was allowed to go anywhere she wanted without anyone stopping her for fear she'd get lost. Surely for most of her life, she planned and cooked meals for her and her family, but at this house, a house manager plans and cooks the meals. She no longer has to put gas in her car, read nutrition labels, decide on a paint color for the den. She doesn't have to clean out her refrigerator, call a plumber, or buy dishwashing detergent.
When Maddie was a little baby and I pushed her around in her stroller, people would always stop me, as they do to people with babies, and talk. A few people said things like, "Boy, that's the way to travel! I'd love to be able to lay down while someone pushed me all over the place."
I beg to differ.
She used to live in her own house, now she has one room to call her own because, besides the rooms of the other residents, the rest of the house is common areas. She said she loves to garden, had a big vegetable garden at her house, wants to garden at this new place. At this house, volunteers do the gardening. At one time in her life, I am very sure she told her son what to do, rather than the other way around. I am very sure that she was allowed to go anywhere she wanted without anyone stopping her for fear she'd get lost. Surely for most of her life, she planned and cooked meals for her and her family, but at this house, a house manager plans and cooks the meals. She no longer has to put gas in her car, read nutrition labels, decide on a paint color for the den. She doesn't have to clean out her refrigerator, call a plumber, or buy dishwashing detergent.
When Maddie was a little baby and I pushed her around in her stroller, people would always stop me, as they do to people with babies, and talk. A few people said things like, "Boy, that's the way to travel! I'd love to be able to lay down while someone pushed me all over the place."
I beg to differ.
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