Thursday, January 31, 2013

No ROTF today, just more Being Old

          Pushing the cart through Wegman’s yesterday, I felt a tap on my shoulder. 
          “Excuse me, but watch out, your left shoelace is untied.”
I started glancing around for some place to sit down--or just possibly I could reach down if there were some way to prop up my foot, but no luck -- and then the voice went on,
“Can I tie it for you?”
I turned to look.  It might have been more bearable if she were a teenager, but she had white hair and a young face-- maybe in her 50s or 60s.  I could not think of anything more humiliating than having her stoop to tie my shoe and yet…no way could I risk a fall.
I find myself unable to finish telling you this story.

5 comments:

  1. try turning it around. really. grateful for someone to notice, be kind, and therefore prevent a fall. we are ALL going to get old -- if we are lucky. and we all need help. just different things at different times...

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  2. It was life paying you back.
    I cannot even remember how many times you have saved me a nasty spill by telling me to tie my shoe. But it's been a lot, and it's probably not over yet. I'm still not very good at tying shoes. (grin)

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  3. Don't feel bad--I've just added a bed rail so I don't fall out during my nightly sleep episodes!

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  4. Don't feel bad--I've just added a bed rail so I don't fall out during my nightly sleep episodes!

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  5. Accepting help graciously is far harder for me than giving it--and for you too, evidently. But I fear it's something we all have to learn as we hit the downhill slope.

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