A neighbor is facing a terrible situation. Her aging husband seems to be showing some signs of dementia – among them, becoming more obstinate, opinionated and mean. “More” is relative… he was always a strong force. But the meanness is pretty new I think. She’s not terribly happy and in trying to discuss things with him, suggested that maybe they separate for a while. He flipped out over that, ready to change the locks the next day (which evidently didn’t materialize) but his kids right away cut her off. Now it’s a hard situation. The person who knows him best sees deficits that probably need some medical opinion, but he won’t listen and his kids are of no help because they are mad at her and they don’t spend enough time with him to see the changes she sees. Meanwhile, it’s an unhappy place for her to stay. Egads.
And then there are the cute senior citizens… like the WWII vet in Clarkstown NY. That sweet old man was storing two WWII grenades in his refrigerator at the nursing home. That discovery caused an evacuation of all the other little old residents while the bomb squad removed them. Lots of people kept war souvenirs – a flag might have been a better choice though.
Somehow we think we are going to escape the things we laugh at now. But it’s a nervous laughter.