My Senior experience

[Bettina]

I hope nobody minds my chattering, I keep a pretty big diary and this is about my senior home visit.

 

Last Monday, I had no school, and dad took a day off, so we went to the mall for some shopping then ended up at the senior home like I promised and boy was I shocked. I've never been to one so I expected a dark gloomy place full of sad old people that read bible books and had nurses all the time. Geez....was I wrong. This place is really cool. Some people live there but others just come and hang around like a club. Beyond the living areas, there are four main rooms, a hobby like room where people are cutting, gluing and pasting, a quiet room for reading books, an entertainment room where they have a HUGE tv, lots of chairs, a Lowry Fiesta organ, and a game room where they play board games and have all kinds of machines like coke, candy, ice-cream, and about 6 computers too. These people are surfing the internet a lot.

 

When we first entered the building (two friends from the choir came with me and dad) I could hear a lot of talking and laughing, but then when I entered the room, where the people were, I was greeted with absolute silence. That made me nervous big time cause I got the impression they were seeing me differently than they remembered at Christmas. I began clinging closer to my father who was nudging me thru, but before I could figure anything out, they started coming at me at the same time, smiling, shaking hands and hugging but thankfully no kissing. I felt a lot better when I saw the ones I met at church. I'm really quiet and shy with people except when I'm posting here or chatting on the phone.

 

Since they knew I was coming they had a list of about 30 songs. A few of them I don't have the range for so we had to change them. My octave range is only 2.5 clear, but I can near 3 if I sing those parts softly. The funny part is that I can't read music or play any instruments and though I have all the popular singers and songs on my Ipod, I won't sing rock and roll songs or rap. I only sing italian songs for dad, inspirational one's for church, and gentle songs that have a lot of feeling in them because thats my style. Every note I sing has it's own feel and strength and I treat it that way. I'll also close my eyes on certain notes too and looking at the list they gave me the majority of what they like is what I like too. When I sing I tend to stand in one spot without moving and may move my hand once in awhile. No gyrating for me. I didn't sing that day, and they knew that, because I was only there to pick up the music and see the place. I needed to download the songs, listen to them, get the lyrics to look at while I sing, then learn the feel.

 

Before leaving we spent some time at the computers showing the people where all the good sites were. Some of the bookmarks they had were like insurance stuff, automobiles, batteries, online casino's and one well hidden bookmark they found was for a girly place. tsk tsk tsk........... One computer was messed up so we fixed it. They definately needed Spybot and Zonealarm so we did that too. We hooked them up with some others like card games and music sites. We were there for an hour even though dad wanted out in 10 minutes, but he asked for it.

 

Tuesday after school, as planned, I went to the home again with the same choir friends who helped me sing some songs, and we sang the songs they wanted to hear. The organ is beautiful and the acoustics were awesome. The organist is a really nice man and he can play better here than in church because this organ has a lot of background built in and he knows how to play it well. Anyway, I sang about a dozen or so, songs and was there for little over an hour. Of course they wanted to hear "O holy night" again, and I did it but I told them I didn't want to sing this again till next Christmas. I don't like killing a song by singing it out of season like that movie "A Christmas story" that they played to death in July. I did really well there and actually enjoyed doing it for them. A few of them are sad though like they have a lot of heartache. I can tell pretty easy and I know my style of singing doesn't help. I sang "Amazing Grace", "Desperado", "When you wish upon a star" "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan, and a bunch like those.

 

One of the songs they picked, I never heard before but what a beautiful song it was. I must have played that at home 50 times. It fits the way I like to sing and her style of singing is like mine and yes....I teared up on that one, and like I said before, it's hard for me to control it and I even do it a lot more when I sing alone at home. I also get the impression that they can't wait for me to do that. I don't understand why, I don't do it on purpose, and wouldn't if I could. Its really strange. Why would someone want to feel worse.

The song is called "I'm always chasing rainbows" by Jane Olivor. Go to musicmatch and listen to it. I love that song. I made it a little longer cause it's a short song. But that "style" is how I sing. I'm going to download her entire album now.

 

I'm going back twice a month to visit and sing and that's the best I can do. They are very happy with that, because they have other entertainment that keeps them pretty active anyway. My choir friends are going to come too. One of them is a boy who sings really well and I kind of like him but he's only 15.

 

The way they treated me there was awesome, and I think I have a lot of Grandparents now..

 

Bettina

 

Edit....fixed those spelling errors...thanks

[5614]

a) thanks, i often read in articles about hacking how the majority of hackers work because there are no firewalls installed, this is the 1st instance where (seemingly) they had no firewall (which would be why you installed ZA (zone alarm)). i've just never head of anyone not having a firewall before (AND obviously being connected to the net too)

 

b) i think i 100% believe you when you say have a "pretty big diary"!

 

c) your last long 'diary' style post required responses, this seeminlgy doesnt, still interesting,

 

d) "quoir" spelt choir

 

e) hey, whats wrong with a 15 year old boy?!?

[Phi for All]

What a beautiful experience! You know, it's easy to say love makes the world go 'round, but I think an even more powerful force is gratitude. Love seems to come naturally to many people, but being grateful for what we've got is something we really have to work at. It sounds as though you've earned the gratitude of the folks at that senior home and also are grateful for the talents you possess.

[ecoli]

Every year, around Christmas time, my school sends it's music department around to local nursing homes. We have a Caroling Choir, Brass ensemble and Chamber Orchestra. It's a good experiance and it's fun too.

 

However last year, we went to a nursing home that, we found out when we got there, was experiancing a flu epidemic. The result: Half of us caught the flu and were out of school for a week.

[Encrypted]

I have an internet connection without a firewall.

 

As they say: "Prevention is the best cure"!

 

Encrypted

[ecoli]

WTF. I think you got the wrong thread, mate.

[Bettina]

d) "quoir" spelt choir

 

e) hey, whats wrong with a 15 year old boy?!?

 

Fixed those errors and noted them......of all the words in the english language I always have trouble with 3 of them.

 

Nothing is wrong with him....He just turned 15 1/2 and I'm going to 17 next month.....I like him a lot.

 

Bettina

[ecoli]

That's not a bad age difference. I say go for it!

[Bettina]

That's not a bad age difference. I say go for it!

 

Maybe in awhile I have to be careful. One time some Senior boys called my house to ask me out. Geez I was only 14 and they were like 18 so I politely said no. I was really embarassed and my dad went ballistic. (not at me) Shortly after that, those boys started calling me a "Lezzie". I wasn't allowed to date, I hung around with girls, so I couldn't prove it. Now my dad worries that I might want to prove I'm not....such a worrier he is. I really love him. (dad of course)

 

Bettina

[coquina]

to go sing for them.

 

I love the "big band" sound, and the songs that were popular during the '40's. Here is a link to songs that were sung by Billie Holiday:

 

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/billie-holiday/

 

There are some really great songs there. You might be able to find a music book of "Top Forties" songs. My mother was 95 when she died, and she had to be in a nursing home for a little while, because she broke her hip and it got infected. Mom had a wonderful mind, but the rest of her body was shot. I went to visit her every day, but I had to work. She was alone for hours, and she would have loved to have someone talk to her.

 

I suggest when you go again that you ask the administration people which of their patients might enjoy having someone to talk to. The go - and listen to their stories about how life was when they were young.

 

I'm sure you'll both enjoy it.

[Gilded]

"Nothing is wrong with him....He just turned 15 1/2 and I'm going to 17 next month....."

 

Some of us turn 17 in April. *hint hint* Just kidding of course, if you like the boy and he likes you then that's pretty much all there is to it. And for the old folk, I've always thought that old people are merely young people who have lived long. )

 

"it's easy to say love makes the world go 'round, but I think an even more powerful force is gratitude."

 

Oh bugger. I've been told the world goes around (it's axis that is) because of the fact that our Solar system was a spinning disc of matter, thereby making the objects formed from the cloud rotate too, and because of the rather non-existant friction in space that allows it to keep going.

[Phi for All]

Oh bugger. I've been told the world goes around (it's axis that is) because of the fact that our Solar system was a spinning disc of matter, thereby making the objects formed from the cloud rotate too, and because of the rather non-existant friction in space that allows it to keep going.

Be grateful someone told you that.

[5614]

I have an internet connection without a firewall.

 

well then you are a total idiot arent you!

 

Nothing is wrong with him

oh no, its coz im just over 15 + 1/2 !, ok this is a bit pointless but what the heck, i have this clock (1 of 6 in my room, and i have a small room!) and it has a countdown for anything you want, so i put in my birthday, why not? anyway, 104 days to go! (till im 16)

[Bettina]

I suggest when you go again that you ask the administration people which of their patients might enjoy having someone to talk to. The go - and listen to their stories about how life was when they were young.

 

I did that last time and will do it again next time I visit. I need to know if my goal of becoming an RN is going to work for me so I guess this will be a way of finding out.

I checked out Billie Holiday but she's way out of my style. She is more oriented toward light jazz, and I sing very differently using deep emotion and feel. I sing more like Jane Olivor.

 

 

oh no, its coz im just over 15 + 1/2 !, ok this is a bit pointless but what the heck, i have this clock (1 of 6 in my room, and i have a small room!) and it has a countdown for anything you want, so i put in my birthday, why not? anyway, 104 days to go! (till im 16)

 

Don't quite follow you, but I'll be 17 February 15th. I don't drive yet, but will be getting my learners permit this summer maybe. I'm already taking driving lessons. He doesn't drive yet either, and like my dad, his parents don't want him driving till he's 17. So, basically I would be picking him up in my car IF we ever dated. He likes me a lot and his parents like me too. He's one of the nicer boys in my school.

 

Bettina

[coquina]

http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/AnOldLadysPoem.html

[Deified]

Yea, my sister dated a 15 year old (he turned 16 while they were dating) when she was 17-18. It was kinda funny because she would always be driving him places and she had a really good relationship with his mom, so they would have long discussions about what was best for him. Now she's off to college and he and I are friends. He's also very nice.

[Phi for All]

[url']http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/AnOldLadysPoem.html[/url]

It's too easy to gloss over an entire life with a snap judgement. Thanks, Sandi.

[5614]

Don't quite follow you,

 

what i meant was i said "what's wrong with a 15 year old boy?" in response to your original post coz im 15 year old boy! then you said he was a 15 and a half year old boy, to which i said so am i.... but then i added that its 104 days till my birthday... which i know coz ive got a clock behind me counting down the days.

 

whatever, it was a bit pointless, but whatever, you should get it now .

[Bettina]

[url']http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/AnOldLadysPoem.html[/url]

 

Geez....Sad....I had to wipe my eyes a dozen times. emotions are a curse for me cause I can never hide anything from my father and he knows when I'm blue in a second. He mentioned to me years ago on his 60th birthday, that he didn't feel any different inside than when he was 20. He said it was a good thing....but it may not be when he's a hundred. Hopefully I'll me a nurse by the time he gets there.

 

Thanks very much for the link. I burned it to a CD so I would have it always. I loved it and coming from you made it special to me.

 

Bettina