The old lady, who seemed perfectly compos mentis, duly toddled off with her form and the Receptionist cast an aww-bless type of glance in my direction. I know she was well-meaning, patient and kind, and I'm sure the same traits will apply to the mere whippersnappers upgrading my new remote-controlled Google hip joints in the years to come, years that are not quite as far away as I'd like. I realise the world will no doubt seem faster and madder and even more confusing but I still don't think that, assuming I'm in sound mind, I'll want to be spoken to in a manner which insinuates that the best things in mine might be playdough and piggy-back rides. On the other hand, perhaps that's best? Perhaps you just have to act it up a bit, swallow what pride you have (left), leave your hearing aid at home deliberately and let everyone treat you like a toddler on Calpol. Then go home and have the last laugh...? I don't know.
Tuesday, 16 September 2014
Help the aged
I was at the dentists yesterday, waiting to check in at Reception.
The customer in front of me had to fill in some forms and the
Receptionist was carefully explaining what she had to do. In a very high voice, one of those voices which contains a pre-recorded smile, she slowly spelled it out: “Now, you need to read this
through, yes? - do you have your glasses?
- ok, and then you need to write your name in
this box here, you see
this box at the bottom
here, yes? And then
you take it with you
and give it to ...”
etc, etc. and of course I wasn't surprised to see that the person
she was speaking to as if they were four years old was more like 80.
I shivered, not at the prospect of opening wide and dribbling in front of my lovely Iranian dentist, but at a possible future
I – and you, my dear friends! – may face. Being talked to like a
baby. Oh no!
The old lady, who seemed perfectly compos mentis, duly toddled off with her form and the Receptionist cast an aww-bless type of glance in my direction. I know she was well-meaning, patient and kind, and I'm sure the same traits will apply to the mere whippersnappers upgrading my new remote-controlled Google hip joints in the years to come, years that are not quite as far away as I'd like. I realise the world will no doubt seem faster and madder and even more confusing but I still don't think that, assuming I'm in sound mind, I'll want to be spoken to in a manner which insinuates that the best things in mine might be playdough and piggy-back rides. On the other hand, perhaps that's best? Perhaps you just have to act it up a bit, swallow what pride you have (left), leave your hearing aid at home deliberately and let everyone treat you like a toddler on Calpol. Then go home and have the last laugh...? I don't know.
The old lady, who seemed perfectly compos mentis, duly toddled off with her form and the Receptionist cast an aww-bless type of glance in my direction. I know she was well-meaning, patient and kind, and I'm sure the same traits will apply to the mere whippersnappers upgrading my new remote-controlled Google hip joints in the years to come, years that are not quite as far away as I'd like. I realise the world will no doubt seem faster and madder and even more confusing but I still don't think that, assuming I'm in sound mind, I'll want to be spoken to in a manner which insinuates that the best things in mine might be playdough and piggy-back rides. On the other hand, perhaps that's best? Perhaps you just have to act it up a bit, swallow what pride you have (left), leave your hearing aid at home deliberately and let everyone treat you like a toddler on Calpol. Then go home and have the last laugh...? I don't know.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
It's odd how some people think that just because someone has lived a lot of years they must automatically have lost much of their mental capacity. In general, the British treat older people abominably - even if we don't mean to. If I'm lucky enough to reach a grand old age I really hope I remember to be a grey rebel. Rise up! You have nothing to loose but your pension books!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, there's a fine line between being patient/kind and patronising. It just struck me when I witnessed this conversation how much it sounded like the young receptionist was speaking to a child and I suddenly imagined myself on the receiving end of it and wondered how I'd feel... I think I'd be seething inside but I'd also know it wasn't meant to be unkind. Hmmm!
DeleteIf I live into my '80s I dread to think what I'll be like but hope never to lose my rebellious streak either. I'm with you!
You just wait til I get that old...by the time I got done with the receptionist she would have filled the form out for me. I intend to take full advantage of lowered expectations. When I'm not being frail so people will do things for me....I'll be carrying a fifth of Old Gran Dad and yelling at people.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's what I wondered... if you're going to be treated like a child you may as well act like one. I'd like to see you when you get there!
DeleteI must admit, when it comes to feigning helplessness or an inability to comprehend certain things, I've occasionally reverted to 'dumb blonde' mode when I've been feeling lazy. Why do it yourself if you boost a man's ego when he offers to do it for you? There are some obvious advantages to being a mere female ;-)
'Hope i die before I get old!
ReplyDeleteBut you 65 now you are old!
65 is the new 25, Old Pa.
Delete