...again.
So.
This morning I was barely .2 miles into my walk...high-stepping along to the music to Flash Dance...
Hey.
Don't be a hater.
Flash Dance is cool.
Anyway...
I saw this quite old lady walking down the middle of the street wearing a tank top,shorts, tennis shoes and a hat...
I wondered why she was walking down the middle of the street, but instead of asking her, I cheerily waved and said, "Hi!"
And she kind of glared at me, but then walked over toward the side of the street and walked on past me.
I kept walking but turned around a few times and she was walking really, really slow but since she was no longer in the center of the street I thought no more of it.
When I was almost finished walking and close to home,I saw the quite old lady again.
She had barely moved from the last time I saw her. I said, 'hi', she kind of glared and I walked on.
When I got back to my house I started worrying.
Acccckkk!
What if she had dementia and was lost?
I fretted.
I involved Mr. Jenny in my fret.
He likes when I do that, especially when he's trying to drink coffee and read the paper.
After about three minutes of progressingly ...ummm... frettier fretting, I decided I needed to go look for her to be sure she was okay.
Mr. Jenny volunteered to drive me.
I didn't see him roll his eyes first so I agreed to his offer.
We turned left.
I fretted. "But she didn't have any water...what if she's thirsty?"
We turned right.
I fretted. "I think she's lost. She's probably scared. She might have dementia!"
We went straight.
I fretted. "OMG, what kind of a horrible person am I? Why didn't I ask her if she needed help?"
Mr. Jenny drove around for about ten minutes but we couldn't find her.
We finally gave up and came home.
"So," he asked while pulling into the garage, "Why did you think she needed help?"
"Well! Gosh! Aren't you listening. She was walking down the center of the road! She didn't have any water! She probably had dementia and was lost and..."
"So," he interrupted, 'Didn't you say she had on walking clothes and walking shoes and a hat?"
"Ummm...well, yes, BUT she was walking down the center of the road! She didn't have any water! She probably had dementia and..."
"Jenny," he said firmly, "I think it's okay. I'm sure she's fine."
"BUT! She was walking down the center..."
"Jenny. Really. I'm sure she's fine."
"BUT! She was..."
"Jenny. Really. I'm sure she's fine."
...
...
I admitted defeat.
Okay.
Maybe she was fine.
But maybe...
Well...
Ummm...
She was walking...
Okay.
Never mind.
BUT.
If you ever see me walking down the center of the street in summer in Arizona without water and I look confused...
Please!
PLEASE!
Don't tell Mr. Jenny.
I'm only telling you this for your own sake.
Because, my husband will just think that YOU have an overactive imagination, too.
Geez.
Imagine that.
...
Sigh...
OH gosh, friend so mine just told me about an incident... she was driving home and about a block away from her house she noticed a old woman walking, kinda slowly (this one was on the sidewalk). As she kept driving towards her house she couldn't help but think that something just seemed odd ...something was not normal, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Still she couldn't get the woman out of her mind, so she got her husband to drive back with her down the block, and stopped when they reached the older lady. It was a hot day, and she was apparently overheated and dizzy and still had 3 or 4 blocks to go til she reached her own home and didn't think she was going to make it. She needed a drink and was near collapse. They drove her home to her husband, and got her a drink and she was soon feeling much better and promised to check in with her doctor. I'm so glad my friend D. listened to that inner voice that kept nagging her and saying something was not right.
ReplyDeleteI hate when stuff like that happens..you get this impression that you should help, but you kind of ignore it and then it won't go away and then when you finally decide to do something about it it seems that it's too late and then you worry all the rest of the day that you're going to read about that person in the news cuz they died cuz you didn't help... just sayin'.... xo
ReplyDeleteI've done exactly the same thing more times than I care to mention. There's nothing worse than realizing you should have "done" something, turning around to go make things right, and finding no one there to help.
ReplyDeleteHow I hate missed opportunities.
"/
PS. Having said that, it may be some consolation that almost every time I've gone back in time to find someone actually still there, they have declined my assistance. ;)
This would have worried me all day!
ReplyDeleteNot just you JM ... just this past weekend there was a guy walking down the middle of a country road, this being a road that the non-locals barrel down (blind corners and all). I mentioned it to Mr. VZ - why would a guy be walking down the middle of the road? He said, "Death wish."
ReplyDeleteYa just gotta let it go ....
thriftshopcommando.blogspot.com
ME too, interrupt me and give me water please:) Hey Jenny, are you still doing your work at home job? Just curious:) See, others are curious too! HUGS!
ReplyDeleteOh Jenny, how well I know the pitfalls of having an overactive imagination. It is way too easy for me to convince myself that something is true, when, in fact, I've dreamed it up in my head. I don't think my husband pays any attention to what I tell him, because he's all too aware of the tangents my mind can take. I loved reading about someone else who does that. laurie
ReplyDeleteBetcha this will keep you awake tonight, huh?
ReplyDeleteHmmm...learn your lesson and next time ask. If she was having problems espcially with dementia that would have been the look she would give you...a glare. Better to be safe than sorry...
ReplyDeletep.s. Jenny, yes we will make you a studio when you are ready....when we get back from virginia in another few weeks or this fall when it gets cooler come on up and we will talk trailer trash! Ha! My favorite...You can look at mine and even if it takes a couple of years you can have a dream...it will come true one day. My e-mail is molliedog1@msn.com I think you have it...your lovely book reached me here in Virginia the other day...just what I needed! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMy dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteIt is better to be wrong than to feel guilty. You have a GREAT heart!! Don't ever change....it is was make you more beautiful inside (smile).
Jenny, this was fiction, right? If not I would have been worried too. When I was working at Family Dollar a lifetime ago I kept seeing an elderly gentleman walking around in the cleaning supplies. A few hours later a young lady came in looking for her father who had snuck out of the house. He had dementia. We found him in the laundry detergent and she took him home.
ReplyDeleteI would have been thinking just like you. Maybe you'll see her out walking on your next walk and you can introduce yourself and make friends with her.
ReplyDeletemy husband would have done just like yours.. well, thats if I could have even gotten him to take me back.. lol!
happy walking to you!
xoxo
vivian
Gosh --- scary! My mother had alzheimer's and we would sometimes find her wandering like that. I hope she found her way.
ReplyDeleteIt never hurts to pay attention to your inner voice. Even if she flips you off...you can sleep at night knowing you did the right thing! ~Ames
ReplyDeleteYears ago on a very early Sunday morning, I saw an elderly man dressed in pajamas aimlessly wondering in a used car lot. Suspecting he was from a nearby nursing home, we called the police...and it turned out, that he had wondered away from there.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great posting ~ I feel overly responsible for people too. A lot of people don't understand it but I think it's a good character attribute. Hey... one day we could save a life, right? ;-)
ReplyDeleteLoved visiting ~ thanks so much!
♥Sharon
oh goodness Jenny ... you do have a kind heart ... I would have done the same thing ... sometimes i actually do the right thing but it can be hard, especially when paying attention to our own needs ... and dont worry about it ...
ReplyDeleteActually, when my Dad was in Assisted Living he went outside one morning early in his pajamas and started hitch hiking. A couple of cars pulled over and called the police. It surprised everyone since he had been forgetful, but had never done anything like that before. He told me he thought he was at NYU and was hitch hiking home from school. It was like he went into a sudden trance. You never know.
ReplyDeleteYou did right to go back to look. Well done :)
ReplyDeleteYou went back to look for her, and that counts. You are one of the kind-hearted person, many would have just zoomed by without blinking an eye lash.
ReplyDeleteI think I would have fretted right along with you. You at least did try to help...and that does count. YOU are a good egg Jenny!
ReplyDeletexo
Oh Jenny, I hate when I don't react and wish I had...then I have to wonder for like EVER what if. I call it whatiffing to death...it runs in my family.
ReplyDeleteYou did the right thing. I have neighbors on either side of me, and they are all close to ninety. I worry about them a lot. When I'm peeking through my window, through their window, it's just to make sure they are snug in their chairs. When I hear their phones ring, I count the rings to make sure they are Ok, and answering their phones!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, what a story... Your little adventures always entertain me. :)
ReplyDelete