Modern day scrooge? Grumpiest old man? The Grinch has met his match? For now, I think I’ll refer to this gentleman (who I truly adore) as Grumpy. No matter what we try to do for him, it just isn’t good enough, with the exception of a shopping trip where he can stock up on bird seed and bottles of pop. Here are just a few examples:
About our Wild, Wild West ice cream social: “I had a spoonful of ice cream. It didn’t have much in it.”
About our facility’s delicious meals: “The food around here is dog food.”
About activities: “Our entertainment here don’t quite suit me.”
About our weekly bowling activity: “I’ve been turned off by that bowling. It’s too much work to bowl, and I can’t make it work.”
About Bingo: “I’ve been turned of by that bingo – always get a card that don’t have the right numbers.”
About the Casino trips: “If I don’t have some money, I don’t want to go to the Casino. Playin’ don’t amount to much there. The old machine shuts me off. The machinery holds me down. That casino’s not too much fun. It’s impossible to win anything. You can try, but it don’t do you much good.”
About the activity calendar: “I don’t think it pays to have too many ideas about doing things.”
During a trip to Cabela’s – “That ain’t all that great.”
During a trip to see the K.C. Plaza Christmas lights – “I’ve seen better than that.”
About the Zoo reptile presentation in which I asked the presenter to hand deliver a giant turtle to him for a personal show-and-tell: “I seen turtles bigger than that in my back yard.”
After an adVanture to the beautiful Rose Garden at Topeka’s Gage Park: “That flower business was dead. That rose garden was ugly.”
He’s also refused to accept ice cream from McDonald’s, pastries from a local Mennonite bakery, burgers and fries from Winsteads, and so on.
What he really wants: “I’m on the outside of everything and am waitin’ for something worthwhile. That’s what I want.”
What he doesn’t refuse are hugs. And there’s no complaining about them. Just a smile.
Imagine that.
Kareen King is a Registered Drama Therapist and founder of The Golden Experience™, offering keynotes, concerts, and workshops to enrich lives in long-term care. For booking information, contact her at kking@thegoldenexperience.com or visit www.thegoldenexperience.com. You may also signup for our newsletter and receive a free download.
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>Well, talk about making lemonade out of lemons. To look thoroughly at this man, Mr. Grumpy, to see his profound dissatisfaction as a way to be noticed, to move us to care, to drive us to go the extra yard–even knowing nothing will be enough … this is a living witness that the range of songs finds its fruit in your actions as well as your message.
Thanks for sharing. And thanks for the reminder that there is something of beauty and worth everywhere–to nevver stop seeking, striving to find it.