Cranky Old Man.....

Read before, worth another go around. It is a shame society in general still devalues the elderly.

 

Makes one stop and reflect.

 

Hi Marley, I have not seen this before but it is so true.

 

I suppose that goes for women as well ....

 

I first saw a version of this - mostly the same - main difference being the writer was female when I did my nurse training over 30 years ago. It's as valid now as it was then - it moved me then and now 30+ years on I have even more understanding of it.

It doesn't matter how much it has evolved it is so true and deserves recognition.

crabbit old woman in google brings it up from '98 and it has been attributed to men and women from all over the world - this validates it even more as being of such real relevance to us us .

The following answer was also recorded

A Nurse's reply

"To the 'Crabbit Old Woman"

What do we see, you ask, what do we see? Yes, we are thinking when looking at thee! We may seem to be hard when we hurry and fuss, But there's many of you, and too few of us. We would like far more time to sit by you and talk, To bath you and feed you and help you to walk. To hear of your lives and the things you have done; Your childhood, your husband, your daughter, your son. But time is against us, there's too much to do -Patients too many, and nurses too few. We grieve when we see you so sad and alone, With nobody near you, no friends of your own. We feel all your pain, and know of your fear That nobody cares now your end is so near. But nurses are people with feelings as well, And when we're together you'll often hear tell Of the dearest old Gran in the very end bed, And the lovely old Dad, and the things that he said, We speak with compassion and love, and feel sad When we think of your lives and the joy that you've had, When the time has arrived for you to depart, You leave us behind with an ache in our heart. When you sleep the long sleep, no more worry or care, There are other old people, and we must be there. So please understand if we hurry and fuss -There are many of you, And so few of us.

 

Hi Hec, an interesting "answer" to the first story. Another nurse too! Take a peek at Daisees post on the "Norwich, a fine city! thread. "

I must admit gettine older does concern me. I am lucky as I have lots of friends and a large family but some people are not so fortunate
Quite often a few words can makesomeones day. I was shopping in the dreaded Tesco and an elderly man was reaching into the tall freezers to get some ready meals so I smiled at him and he chatted away about how good these ready meals were and how he used to have meals on wheels but the food was not too good hence he now buys his own!

 

How true it is, and what a shame too.

Something that still makes me feel slightly bad (although I don't blame myself because I was a youngster and youngsters understand nothing), is that it was only really in the last few years of my grandad's life that I realised that it was only the mechanics of his body that were old. He would try to make conversation with me but I'd answer politely but not really make any effort to converse. I figured he was so different to me that we couldn't possibly understand each other, so there was no point me trying to talk about what was important to me, and there was no chance of me understanding what was important to him.

Fortunately I realised how wrong I'd been, while he still had a few (a very few) years left. Instead of treating him like 'grandad', I started listen to him and talking to him as another lad. Suddenly I found he didn't disapprove of the fact that I went out clubbing til all hours, smoked, got into the occassional scrape (usually over a woman I might add), rode an off-road motorbike, etc etc. Turns out, he'd been a young lad himself once and he too had been out boozing and occassional had "one over the eight" and got a hangover, and he too had tried to pull the ladies and had occassionally got into the odd scrape. Just like me, he'd indulged in types of fun that you might not expect from a stiff upper lipped, suit wearing, well spoken English gentleman. It also turns out that his time in the war wasn't all about unfaltering bravery and glory and victory, once I started to pay attention I heard about fear and dread and pain and sorrow.

It turns out that his relationship with my gran wasn't all about the 'perfect home life', they'd rowed about the same issues that people row about today, and they'd had fun and laughs.

It is all obvious now, but as a teenager that's not always the impression you get of old folks. I'm not sure what can be done about it though. How do you tell someone who has only lived for maybe 18 years that people had fun, partook in mischief, had joy and sorrow and all the things that we all have, and it all happened maybe 2 or 3 lifetimes ago?