As we are residents of an independent living facility, we often sit with another couple at a table for four. The other day there was a dialogue, mostly by the two ladies. The conversation involved the fact that the men don’t enter into the discussion very often.
The other husband and I made an attempt to put in our two cents worth, but it is often difficult to break into a lady’s conversation. I have tried many times, usually by waiting for a break, but by the time that one comes along I have forgotten what I was going to say, and the opportunity is lost.
I do believe that there are settings where a husband or two takes over. It’s just that I have never seen it. We did take it to Husbands United (A secret society). But as we expected everybody there, except for one guy, indicated that they had no idea on how to change the situation. The one guy who didn’t express his views never talks anyhow!
In a facility such as ours, you can see every type of walker that is made. There are four wheels, three wheels, and two wheels with the latter having sliders or tennis balls on the back. Some even have sliders on the front. All serve their purpose. I am one of the ones with multiple walkers. I am trying to work my way out of them so that I can go to a grandson’s wedding in Colorado this July. My first concept was a cane, and I was getting help in physical therapy on that. However, I have recently switched to a walking stick. I find it has better support and it is easier to stand straighter. It can also be a good defensive weapon. If a bad guy or a grizzly comes after you, a few swings with the stick in the right places can swing things your way. Just the other day, I would have liked to have had it with me. The Blond in the House and I along with our oldest son went to the German Bakery on Rt 48 in Yalala.
We went on a weekday and got there around 11:30. We assumed that it would not be crowded, but we were definitely wrong. If I had my walking stick, I could have moved alongside the front of the line and casually swung the stick and people would have been startled and moved back, I would have then moved into the opening and innocently said, “Thank you.” I was foiled at ever using this tactic as The Blond said that was not a defensive use of the stick. If you have ever been there, it still may be worth it. Their desserts are many and most delicious. On Saturdays with good weather, they have outside music presented by some of the performers who work The Villages.
As I was writing the above, I did some more thinking about what was described in the first paragraph. I believe that I have come up with a solution. I will enlist a certain husband, and once we sit down, we will get into an immediate dialogue on pro football. We will discuss rapidly whether the Superior Steelers or the downtrodden Ravens will be the better team. We will probably go all the way back to Terry Bradshaw, and I will not forget the cowardly owner of the Cleveland Browns who loaded everything up in the middle of the night and moved the team to Baltimore. We will have lots of material. I believe we can take up the entire dinner time – and the husbands will have been the talkers. We can even go back to Husbands United with a solution should the matter arise again. Hooray!
Barry Evans is a columnist for Villages-News.com