Several years ago, I assumed the 'Power of Attorney' and responsibilities for my mother's 96-year old sister, Kate who lived two hours away in the Metro-East area. It was a bit challenging but needed to be done considering my mother was too old to assume the role.
Aunt Kate was childless and thus became that 'Aunt' who spent money, time and energies embracing, loving and doing for nieces and nephews. She was beloved but make no mistake, she could be overbearing with her lectures on proper etiquette, grooming and general posturing. Kate worked many years in Washington D. C. where she served as private secretary to Illinois' United States Senator, Paul Douglas. Back in those days, my Aunt Kate was a stylish. beautiful, shapely lady with unrivaled poise and grace.
As time has a way of rearranging our social filter through the aging process, Kate developed some rather eccentric traits in her latter years. Let me offer a few examples: Kate was residing in an independent/assisted living facility in Belleville, IL. Times that my wife, Gerry and I visited Kate, the staff personal would ask me to take Kate for a walk so they could go into her room and retrieve silverware Kate had taken from the cafeteria. I took Kate to her bank on a business matter and as soon as we were escorted into the Vice President's office, he immediately began rearranging items on his desk and pointed out to Kate the fountain pens that were his personal pens and explained to her that she should not put them in her purse. Perhaps Kate's most notable, 'Oh, NO, she didn't moment,' came when our two daughters and few grandkids were visiting Kate when took a fancy to an Illini T-shirt. My daughter said she had another such T-shirt in the auto and went to get it for Kate. As soon as the T-shirt was handed to Kate, she whipped off the top she was wearing exposing her bare chest and put the Illini shirt on...it wasn't pretty sight but it's funny to this day. I worried about a young grandson who witnessed the 96-Year old 'Boob Flash.' I wondered if the boy would ever marry.
Well folks, my wife and I belong to the club. Last Christmas Holiday Season, my wife and I were shopping in a nearby Target Store when my wife reminded me she needed to get some boxes of candies, as she did each Christmas to give to our pharmacy team. She scurried off and took care of that matter but two days later said, "Oh my goodness, I didn't pay for that candy that I got for the pharmacy people; I just took it off the shelf and walked it over and gave it to them." With that announcement she took off to settle her moral issue. Then just two days ago, I was in Target looking for an antacid medicine my wife wanted. She had given me an empty bottle for reference. While searching, the store manager, whom I know well saw me and asked, "Coach, you need help finding something?" I pulled the empty bottle from my jacket picket and said, "I'm looking for this product."
The manager looked in his little handheld gadget, walked four steps picked up the new bottle and as he handed it to me, said, "You want me to throw away your empty bottle?" I handed him the empty bottle and I put the new bottle INTO MY JACKET POCKET. I surely did! The manager looked at me with a puzzled expression and said, "You're not REALLY going to put that in your pocket and leave are you? Perhaps my wife. And I need to check out a 'Bail Bondsman' telephone number.
No comments:
Post a Comment