Saw a comment somewhere today where someone said they think that people who say they hate geriatric calls must be "doing it wrong."
She went on to talk about how older people often have amazing stories to tell, that you'd never guess just by looking at them.
People who are "old" now have lived through some interesting times, that's for sure.
We had a call recently where the woman described herself right off the bat as a "stubborn old lady." That's when I knew we were going to get along!
My daughter has mentioned how much she enjoys meeting some of these incredible older people. We have some characters out here, that's for sure.
It is a sad thing that this culture separates young people from old people so much. There are still places where groups of kids might go to some "old folks home" for a holiday event, but in general, there isn't a whole lot of interaction between young people, and older people they don't know and/or aren't related to.
One of the things we've noticed is that the feistiness and spirit of some of them seems indirectly proportional to how sick they actually are. As if maybe they've figured out that it's better to go out with a bang, and to hell with worrying about it. They are the ones who banter with us. Once, I saw a young male assistant chief totally discombobulated by an elderly woman having a great time flirting with him, while having to stop and catch her breath every little while.
I've mentioned it before, and I'll mention it again, and I hope I have the opportunity to frequently be reminded, that some of these people have enough heart for a dozen lesser folks, and the spirit to match. It is an honor and a pleasure to be able to be there for them when they need a hand.
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