Stuff my Dad Says
My dad is a storyteller with a limited audience. My siblings and I have been spending a lot of time with him as he recuperates from his injuries. With little to do and little to occupy his mind, his lifelong habit of repeating stories is flourishing. This is not some new trait or indication that his memory his fading–he has always done this; and we do our best to be patient with each retelling. (I certainly hope that my own children will show me the same courtesy some day.) I have come up with titles for some of dad’s recurring tales.
- 120 Year Old Man Mows lawn
- 2015 Has Been a Rough Year
- The Uncaring Caregiver
- The Caring Caregiver
- I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up
- Mom’s No Good Doctors Who Don’t Give a Damn
- One Exceptional Child and Three pretty good ones
- It’s Hell Getting Old
- The Cute Blond in History Class
There are more–but this is a pretty representative sampling. I have tried to engage dad in Scrabble or cards in order to pass the time, without much success. He prefers to reminisce and rehash the same themes.
At 88 dad has outlived his wife, his siblings and their spouses, and most of his friends. We are hoping that he finds a fresh audience in his new temporary home at a local assisted living facility, where he will spend the next month. At the very least, I’m sure he will come up with some new stories about living with all the old duffers at the ‘home’.