Shakespeare died on April 23. April 23rd is also the birthday of my first love, Martin Brooks. For details, read my memoir, Getting Lost to Find Home. It also marks the 4th week since I fractured my kneecap. Unfortunately, I won’t see a surgeon until tomorrow. In the meantime, the Strait of Hormuz continues to open and close like a trap door with a faulty spring.
As there is little I can do about world affairs at the moment, and knowing my readers are largely on the south side of being 21, I’ve decided to share a few of the traps I’ve encountered as I maneuver through my immobility. Being aware of the pitfalls of infirmity may be of use to them.
For example, if you live in a retirement center, don’t assume the institution will assist you with a wheelchair as you attempt to move from the library to the beautician. In Oregon, some bright and probably young State Legislator wrote a bill against it. Yes, you can get care in assisted living. But if you are in “independent” living, you are out of luck. People in Independent Living are not supposed to fall or require help. Slip on a banana peel, and you might get a laugh, but no employee is going to pick you up. If you want help, call a friend. It’s the same for most of your needs.
If you want ice cream from the grocery store, call a friend.
If you need pain medication? Call a friend.
Want someone to pick up your mail? Call a friend.
Need to be wheel-chaired to the in-house hairdresser? Call a friend.
Need help with the laundry? Call a friend.
Need to pay your monthly “rent”? That’s different. Someone from the business office will drop by for a check.
There’s a moral to this story if you haven’t noticed. A person needs friends. Family might be willing to help, but they tend to live out of state. Far better than a good tax accountant, stockbroker, or lawyer is a friend. Money in the bank is a comfort if you can get there. A good health plan helps you sleep at night. But no asset compares to friends who care. They give you the most precious commodity of all… their Time.
May thanks to those who have been generous to me with theirs. I am humbled.
BOYCOTT Tesla, Apple, Amazon
