Living alone can present some problems. For example, something may go wrong and you are helpless to yell or call for help.
A person may fall and no one will know about it. I have heard how one of my neighbors was working on his roof when he fell and passed out. He was unconscious on the ground for several hours. Eventually, he woke and was able to rise on his own.
My Aunt Myrtle was taking a bath but discovered she wasn’t strong enough to get out of the tub. Luckily, her daughter came to visit and found her–still in the tub. Situations like this can happen to anybody, not just us old folks.
What I have learned is to let someone know if I’m going to work on the roof or go under the house into a crawlspace to fix something. Mostly, I think, Don’t Do It! But, if you must, at least call a friend and let them know where you’ll be found so that you don’t lie somewhere–maybe out in the elements or with a broken leg.
Ask your friend to call you back an hour or so later–just to be sure.
Don Sivertsen’s book Laughs, Luck, & Life has just been released on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IFN4DD8 Miraculously regaining his ability to speak, think, and write after a debilitating stroke, the author presents a uniquely life-affirming series of funny and/or poignant anecdotes characterized by their humble yet self confident messages. His words—gained by accessing the “spare, unused brain cells” that weren’t damaged—are a bright ray of hope served up as warmhearted humor and sprinkled with some modestly offered advice.
SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).
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