Heard While Lurking

I live in senior housing. That sentence at first kind of freaked me out but I been at this facility more than a year ago. I knew it was senior housing but I was desperate for housing and this facility fit on so many levels. I had to move in here and I'm basically glad that I did. However, the fact remains I am in senior housing. I know I am a Senior myself but it's hard for me to grasp the concept in its entirety. Having said all at I kind of figured Death would be a frequent visitor to the inhabitants of our fair living facility – – but frequent and common visits by specter death is not been frequent or common. In fact the only individual I know who has died since I have taken up residence has been that individual I found last summer lying in the street across from my apartment. I heard her cry out just after she must've fallen striking her head on the concrete. I went out and assisted where I could. I contacted 911 and spent an hour or so blocking the sun from her face in the July heat. She died a few weeks later never coming back to the facility.

There has been a couple of times where I have been part of conversations where residents have discussed other residents who have passed on. But surprisingly people seem live to a fairly significant length of time. Turnovers rare and cause quite a conversation when they do occur. An interesting example last year, a resident has been here now a little bit longer than me ,I figure about 18 months, is considering relocating to another facility. She's just thinking about a move but still generating quite a bit of conjecture.

I was lurking a couple days ago behind the staircase at the front of ability. I just been to the mailroom and was going through some of the garbage mail that was in my box when I overheard a gathering on the other side of the staircase talking about Helen one of the residents who has lived here quite a while. Late last year she caused quite a sensation with her beautiful purple power chair. She was quite proud of her new vehicle which ad taken Hellen quite a bit of time getting used to driving the unit. Late last year Hellen got sick and fell or fell and got sick either way she's been conspicuously out of the picture for some time. I listened to the hushed tones. Helen was very ill in fact she was at death's door. The talk sounded as if she was not going to make it through the night. Everyone likes Helen. Everybody wants to help. It seems the most help they can be is to sit by her side so that she's not alone and that when she passes at least someone will be by her side. I was moved by the conversation. I was a little perplexed however why wasn't Helen going to or in the hospital? It seems strange that management would allow a person to languish and pass away.

It seems the ladies had things under control and Helen was going to pass with dignity and she was not going to pass alone and I was kind of impressed. I imagined a “sister” wagontrain 150 or 200 years ago crossing the plains. One of the sisters has passed The wagon train stops and the sisters gather around dig a shallow grave and deposit the sister, say a few words then clap the dust from their hands then mount their wagons and head west. Sleep well sister Helen