She Lost Me at Wicked

This morning’s Pizza Tuesday was an hour behind schedule.

Activity Director showed up at 11:00, instead of 10:00, drove to the pick-up point, and didn’t make it back until noon, but at least she showed up – first time in three weeks. She’s probably been on vacation, but I don’t know for sure, as she didn’t tell any of us she was going and none of us asked where she’d been.

At any rate, because so many residents were waiting, things so far behind, instead of the one or two residents who usually help her set up, four or five stepped up to the plate. As a reward for the help, Activity Director allowed them to sign in first, pick up their items first -- which I thought was fair, and instructed everyone else to line up.

Wouldn’t you know … Old Guy who touches the food, instead of lining up, tried to muscle in and join the rewarded helpful group. Activity Director said something to him I could not make out, he did his usual act of pretending to not understand what he was being told until Activity Director slightly raised her voice and said, “Well then, now you have to sit and wait!”

He understood THAT well enough, because he took a chair, sat and waited.

Having arrived at 10:00, I’d been engaged in conversation with one of the residents who’d joined us on Eclipse Day.

She’d been awestruck by the Eclipse. In fact, she had a religious experience over it. I’d photographer and taped her as she raised her hands up to heaven, danced and shouted praise to God that, “It’s a miracle! A miracle I tell you! A miracle from God!”

She tells me she’d been here for two years and, when I said I’d only noticed her 8/9 months ago, she said that’s because she hadn't come out to join the community until about then. I remember, upon seeing and observing her those times she was out and about, I’d commented to someone, “That’s a cute little lady. So full of life”.

Getting to know each other had come slowly. We’d just nod and say good morning to each other while passing in the Community Room, then she began coming over to where I was seated to say, “Good morning, how are you”. Then she evolved to “Good morning, my Sister”. This was the first time we sat side-by-side and actually talked to each other.

She recounted to me a horrible childhood, but seems to have come out the other side well, strong and what I thought of as spiritually minded. I was finding her interesting to talk to and somewhat of a kindred spirit (though I didn’t have a horrible childhood, just a horrible marriage).

When I arrived at the Community Room, Colin Ferrell and Eddie Redmayne were on the screen. I couldn’t name the movie, but knew it was something quite new and, from what I saw happening on the screen, something I’d like to see.

How strange, I thought, for it to be on TV so soon and glanced over now and then, but was not able to focus because of this new friend talking to me (let’s call her M) and all the activity in the room. Later on, while I was still chatting with M, I learned it wasn’t TV at all, it was a DVD – Fantastic Beasts.

I said, “I’m going to have to get that DVD for myself so I can focus.”

M said, “What is that?”

“Fantastic Beasts”.

“What’s it about?”

“Witches and wizards”.

“Oh No, Honey, No!”

“I like mystical and fantasy. I watched Harry Potter, but never could get into it that much.”

She turned up her nose, shook her head and said, “That stuff is wicked. I didn’t let my children watch stuff like that. It’s evil.”

“I don’t see it like that, I see everything as a part of the Universe”, said I and couldn’t tell you what else she said because she’d lost me at “wicked/evil”. Finding her no longer the kindred spirit I was beginning to think she was, whatever else she said went in one ear and out the other.

I don’t know how to explain it. It’s not so much that she sees fantasy and mystical as wicked/evil that turns me off, it’s that she’s at a level where she thinks in those general, closed minded terms -- that something is evil, wicked, a sin, the devil's work – especially something as simple as a movie or a book.

I think she eventually concluded that I wasn’t who she thought I was as well because, when The Seer showed up, she gave The Seer her seat next to me and moved into a chair on the other side of The Seer.

ROFLMAO!

After all the pizzas were divvied up, I headed out to order a box of Starbucks coffee for 10:30 pick up tomorrow. We’ve throwing The Seer a surprise birthday party – though I doubt it’s much of a surprise, as we do it every year on her birth date.

Arriving at Starbucks, I learned the proper term is “A traveler”.

Who knew?

Speaking of who knew … Asking residents why they’d not come out and joined us yesterday to view the Eclipse, most said they’d watched on television. One resident said, “What eclipse? I didn’t know anything about it?”

Seriously.