Shandi and Snow

I've blogged about Shandi before, but I'm telling you, this gal has a God given talent. I wish I could write the way she does. Her latest post is very vulnerable and poignant. Friends, Shandi is only 18 years old. If you have any ideas for how to get her writing out to more people, please let one of us know. I feel a conviction about this young lady. One day I will be glad to say "I knew her when..." Check her out.

When I worked at Christian Towers, the retirement community in Atlanta, we had a lady there named Snow. During our annual Christmas party I noticed Snow going through the buffet and loading up her plate. When I looked at her plate again, I did a double take. She had put a whole cheese ball on her plate!!!!

I non-chalantly followed Snow over to where she was sitting and talking with a group of friends. As she dipped off of the cheese ball and scooped one spoonful after another into her mouth I heard her exclaim through cheese ball loaded cheeks, "My doctor tells me my cholesterol is too high and I just don't understand it. I do everything he tells me to do!"

By the way, the photo is of Shandi, but is not of Snow.

Truth can be stranger than fiction,
Lila

The Vacuum Cleaner Saleslady Called

Another funny thing happened at Decatur Christian Towers one day. We had had an unusually busy week as our receptionist was out sick. We needed larger blocks of time to get our work done. We really needed someone to fill in for our receptionist!

Right when we were about at the end of our rope, one of our residents, Ana, came forward to assist us. We greeted her with open arms (literally) and lots of hugs. Her service was to be invaluable.

Ana hails from Cuba. Though she is fluent in both English and Spanish, words sometimes get mixed up.

Our joy was complete one fine day when we caught the gist of one of Ana's phone messages. Rita had a call that stated that a lady name Joan, a lady selling vacuum cleaners, would call her back.

The next day Rita received a call from her friend, Joan. When Joan asked if Rita had received the message that she had called, it dawned on her what had happened. You see, her friend's name is Joan "Hoover."

Ah, communication,
Lila

What'd You Say, Dearie?

I've been thinking about some happenings in the senior high rise where I used to work. It was at Decatur Christian Towers that I learned what I wanted to be when I grew up. Also learned what I didn't want to be when I grew up. (smile)

A resident, Mrs. Thompson, was extremely hard of hearing. After calculating what her rent would be for the next year, I called her to come to my office to discuss the change.

She met me at the receptionist's desk. I invited her back to my office - - the inner sanctum. :) She declined saying that she was in a hurry. Mrs. Thompson asked what her rent would be and I again motioned for us to go into my office for a bit of privacy. The lobby was filled with other residents chatting and getting their mail. Mrs. Thompson once again declined telling me there was no time.

Knowing it would be improper to blab a resident's rent amount for anyone to hear, I wrote it down for her. As I handed the slip of paper to her, she couldn't read the small writing. (I know, you're probably thinking, why didn't she just step in my office already. She could have found out and been gone by now! Exactly!) I wrote it larger and was still unsuccessful with communication. Finally, Mrs. Cooper told me to just tell her what it would be.

Going against everything I believed about propriety and decorum, I cupped my hands around her ear and whispered her rent to her loudly. A quizzical look came over her face and I tried again, to no avail. Finally in desperation, Mrs. Thompson looked at me anxiously weighing her need to leave with her curiosity to know her new rent. She finally said to me, "Oh, for goodness sake, just tell me!" With that, I told her what her rent would be so that she could hear. She frantically glanced all around the lobby and told me in no uncertain terms to SHHH! as others could hear!

Duh...

Head scratching,
Lila

"I Sure Appreciate You"

When working at Decatur Christian Towers, an affordable senior housing community, I was continually encouraged by so many of our residents. Certainly, Mr. Scroggins is to be counted among that group.

Mr. and Mrs. Scroggins received Meals on Wheels and other welfare assistance. So many times shame, pride or just plain bad manners give some in their financial position a bad attitude. Or worse yet, an attitude that says that everyone owes them something. Not so with the Scroggins'.

Mrs. Scroggins was bed-ridden and Mr. Scroggins took care of her. Every single day when Mr. Scroggins arrived at our office to take their meals from Meals on Wheels home, he wouldn't leave without saying, "I sure appreciate everything all of you do for us. I sure do."

Unfortunately, Mr. Scroggins ended up having not one but two leg amputations in the time I knew him. Yet, never a complaint went from his lips. He got a wheelchair and used it as one would use a car.

Mr. Scroggins rose early every morning to go to the grocery store for he and his wife and for others who needed anything. Daily he would clean the hallway outside his apartment - - all done in his wheelchair. When I learned of this daily service and thanked him, he seemed embarrassed and told me it was just a small way to partially pay back what others do for them.

Mr. Scroggins could not read or write. He was unable to even sign his name with anything other than an "X". With every governmental welfare form or document, he needed assistance. Yet with any education I have been blessed to receive, this man had much to teach me by his example. His spirit of gratitude radiates in all he did. Thank you, Mr. Scroggins, for teaching us all how to really live.

Gratefully remembering,
Lila

Mr. Scroggins died several years ago but his memory lives on...

Red Shoe

I remember when Mary moved into Christian Towers. Mary was a wonderful woman who had a contagious joy about her. I wondered how she would live independently as she was blind and a single leg amputee. She got around in her wheelchair very well, I learned and was far more independent than a lot of "independent" people I knew.

In Mary's life she had been married to four Baptist ministers and all four had died. She had a strong faith in the Lord and loved to tell others of his goodness.

I'll never forget a conversation I had with Mary one day. She was telling me how upset her son had made her. He had questioned if she was independent enough to live at the Towers. She told him in no uncertain terms that she was quite independent and would even prove it to him. She said she'd get her red shoe on and her red dress on and go out and catch another minister!

Whoo-ee!!

In the presence of sassiness,
Lila

Mean as Spit!

At the Towers we had a little (literally - she was about 4'7" tall) lady who lived with us. She was so cute, but man, she was mean as spit!! I'll call her Mattie.

This little character reminds me of her.

I remember one time she had come in my office and was about to leave. She asked me to lean over to her (like she wanted to tell me a secret.) Well, silly me, did as she asked. You're never going to believe what Mattie did! She nibbled my ear, yes sir! Honest to goodness. When I drew back I asked her what she did that for. She said it just seemed like a good idea at the time.

Did I mention I dealt with a lot of mentally ill folks? (Like you hadn't already figured that out.)



I remember another time we were getting new carpet on the first floor. Notices and reminders had gone to all the residents that they wouldn't be able to use that area for several hours. This particular hallway was on the way to the laundry room so they understood they couldn't use the laundry room for those hours either.

Well, Mattie came downstairs during that appointed time with her laundry and all of all her "little clothes" and started to step over the big roll of new carpet and into the gloppy, gooey glue when I called out to her, "Mattie, DON'T! There's glue! You can't use the laundry room now!"

Mattie looked at me and harumphed and stepped over the roll of carpet...sliding on the glue and fell down (I kid you not) FACE FIRST! I wanted so badly to guffaw at her. She pulled her little 4'7" frame up and was covered from head to toe with brown sticky glue.

But, you know what I was thinking. Serves you right... :)

Sometimes justice is just so sweet...

Amused,
Lila

ZZZZZZZ

I have another story from Decatur Christian Towers. All apartments had their electricity and water included in their rent. Just for the record, gas was not one of our utilities. :)

Fannie Pierce was an 88 year old woman who had lived with us for 25 years. One day she came to the office to request that someone from maintenance come to her apartment. Her concern was that we test her apartment for carbon monoxide. Puzzled, I asked her why she was concerned about that. She said that every time she sat down on her sofa, she went to sleep.

You are getting sleepy,
Lila

Have You Heard the Latest?

And then there was the 93 year old gentleman who attempted to tell me about the latest kind of surgery they were doing on eyes. He asked me if I'd heard of "radar" surgery yet. Nope. That's a new one on me.

Smiling,
Lila

"I Can't Breathe Here"

One of the delightful aspects of my job at the retirement community in Atlanta occurred at Christmas time. We were blessed to have many gift donations for our residents. As staff members, it was our privilege to deliver these boxes of sunshine to our residents.

Our Executive Director, Rita, and I were enjoying a pleasant conversation with Mrs. Rainey one day in her aaprtment. We were delivering her Christmas gift from an anonymous giver.

Mrs. Rainey was confined to her apartment due to poor health and the necessity of minute-by-minute oxygen. Her oxygen tube and tank are as much a part of her as are her eyes, nose and mouth. It was a more vital extension of herself in some ways.

You can imagine my horror when I looked down and discovered Rita standing on Mrs. Rainey's oxygen tube! In fact, not one, but both feet were firmly planted. Seeing that Mrs. Rainey was not yet turning blue, but no longer speaking, I deliberated what to do.

Do I?
a. Hurriedly push Rita (my boss) off the oxygen tube and try to make it seem like an accident? "Oops, I lost my balance and knocked you over. Sorry!!"
b. Knock Rita off the oxygen tube and tell her she is standing on Mrs. Rainey's tube. Embarrassment all around for Rita and Mrs. Rainey.
c. Divert Mrs. Rainey's attention and tell Rita she's on her oxygen tube. Excitedly blurt out, "Oh, WOW! Look at that airplane. Isn't it flying awfully close to our building?"
d. Encourage Rita to join me over by some of Mrs. Rainey's family photos.

What would you do? I chose "d". I went over to Mrs. Rainey's family photos and asked Rita to join me. We oohed and aahed over her grandchildren and great grandchildren and I watched as Mrs. Rainey started to regain color again. :)

Upon leaving I told Rita we almost had another death on our hands. She looked at me quizzically and asked me what I meant. I told her about the oxygen tube. She almost passed out!

What we don't know maybe can't hurt us...but we can't be so sure about someone else!

Deep breathing,
Lila

Lou Pirkstead

A delightful gentleman, Lou Pirkstead, was well-liked by all. He was quiet and agreeable, thus a friend to all in our retirement living community in Atlanta. Mr. Pirkstead often sat outside on the bench with the other residents to absorb their conversation.

One day, Donna, a friend and co-worker, asked me to look out my window to admire Mr. Pirkstead's lovely earrings. Shocked, I looked and was entranced with his lovely pink, rose clip earrings! Yep! There he sat on the park bench in his farmer's overalls, plaid shirt, baseball cap and pink rose clip on earrings!

Donna and I searched our minds for a possible explanation but could come up with none. We dismissed it as a fluke until...

The next day, Mr. Pirkstead found himself with his friends on the bench again...wearing the pink rose clip earrings!

Donna bravely ventured outside and asked Mr. Pirkstead why he was wearing the earrings. He told her that they had been a gift and he felt he should wear them.

Well... O.K. then.

Life is interesting, isn't it?

Continually amazed,
Lila