A story from last week

It's a stressful day, with the election numbers starting to pour in. (By the way, how can CNN call races with 0% of the numbers in??? I just don't get this). Anyway, here's a funny story from last week, specifically for those of you who humored me and took the recent "How old is Cyberchick?" poll.

So we were visiting the nursing home and I was dressed like Dorothy with my hair in pigtails. I'll grant that the pigtails make me look young. We went to chat with a gentleman stuck in a wheelchair in a room by himself. AJ was too scared to talk to him, so I struck up a conversation and here it is:

Man: How old are you?
Cyberchick: How old do you think I am? (jovial manner)
Man: Ten.
CC: NO! I'm thirty! How old are you? (still jovial)
Man: Eighty-nine.
CC: Well you look good! You look about fifty!
Man: I can't move. I can't get up.
CC: Ummmm....I'm really sorry about that. (not so jovial)
Man: What am I supposed to do? I can't get up!
CC: Yeah, I know. Um, I'm sorry. (helplessly shrugging shoulders)

At this point a nurse came in and told him he was just supposed to sit there until lunch. And really, he was in better shape than most of the patients. But this exchange was both funny, since a nine-year old recently referred to me as a teenager, and also sad. It reminded me of my good friend Fr. Tom, both in the man's humour and despair.

Today I rode my bike to vote (without pulling a kid in a trailer behind me) and I was so glad to be young and strong and healthy. My husband's struggles remind me that those of us who live a pain-free life are lucky to do so.

And in another thirty years, I hope to look about 21.

~