Viewing the parking lot across the street from Elder House allows me to observe the myriad methods used when visiting the elderly residents.
Some exit their cars after many, many minutes. Stalk along the asphalt, empty handed, cell phones planted to cheek. Most times these types do not stay very long. Timed out probably just enough to elevator to the upper floors and I imagine stand with hands in pockets. Quick exits.
Others arrive with flimsy plastic shopping bags. Groceries and cleaning supplies. Lots and lots of plastic bottles of water. These folks show up alone. No kids and never any teenagers. These folks never take the old ones out for lunch. On weekends a trip to church might be in ordered. On holidays they come with balloons or teeny Christmas trees.
And there are very few who pull their vehicles into the driveway near the maintenance door. This is where ambulances, garbage trucks, and moving vans park. But sometimes people come and bring loads and loads of stuff. One woman dropped off half a cut up cow for an uncle. Two men came on a rainy day and delivered a wet bar and two garden hoses. One very argumentative family spend more than three hours shrieking at each other as they packed up what seemed like millions of black garbage bags.
Nobody smiles.
Some exit their cars after many, many minutes. Stalk along the asphalt, empty handed, cell phones planted to cheek. Most times these types do not stay very long. Timed out probably just enough to elevator to the upper floors and I imagine stand with hands in pockets. Quick exits.
Others arrive with flimsy plastic shopping bags. Groceries and cleaning supplies. Lots and lots of plastic bottles of water. These folks show up alone. No kids and never any teenagers. These folks never take the old ones out for lunch. On weekends a trip to church might be in ordered. On holidays they come with balloons or teeny Christmas trees.
And there are very few who pull their vehicles into the driveway near the maintenance door. This is where ambulances, garbage trucks, and moving vans park. But sometimes people come and bring loads and loads of stuff. One woman dropped off half a cut up cow for an uncle. Two men came on a rainy day and delivered a wet bar and two garden hoses. One very argumentative family spend more than three hours shrieking at each other as they packed up what seemed like millions of black garbage bags.
Nobody smiles.
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