Gentle Reminders and The Cranky Old Man

Great Pretender - The Platters

Don't you just love oldies. They sing more about love and fun. The lyrics are more simple and true. And catchy.

I love oldies because i am an old soul. I love oldies because i grew up listening to all these songs but they were not oldies back then :) That kinda makes me old now :D

The Platters were and still remain one of my favourites.

My dad just got his ipad loaded with loads of oldies. He's been blaring the songs every single day and that kind of makes him happy. Someone has been very kind to share all their oldies with him. Now he's more occupied with singing. He won't get up to answer the phone and he won't get up to answer the door. So try calling him now. *LOL*

To be at his age, life can get a bit lonely. He sends me and my siblings emails everyday even though he's just sitting in the hall. He forwards a lot of funnies, thought provoking things and gentle reminders sometimes.

Here's one of the gentle reminders he sent yesterday which i think that i should share it here with all of you. Its a very long poem. I am sure some of you would have stumbled on it before.

Cranky Old Man

What do you see nurses?. . . . . . . What do you see?
What are you thinking. . . . . . . when you're looking at me?
A cranky old man,. . . . . . . not very wise,
Uncertain of habit. . . . . . . with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food. . . . . . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice. . . . . . . 'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice. . . . . . . the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . . . . . . A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not .. . . . . . . . . . . lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding  . . . . . .The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking?  . . . . . .  Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse . . . . . . you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am . . . . . . . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . . . . . . . with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters .. . . . . . . . who love one another

A young boy of Sixteen. . . . . . . with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now. . . . . . . a lover he'll meet
A groom soon at Twenty. . . . . . . my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows. . . . . . . that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now. . . . . . . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide. . . . . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . . . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . . . . With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young son. . . . . . . have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me. . . . . . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more,. . . . . . . Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children. . . . . . . My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me. . . . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future. . . . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing. . . . . . . young of their own.
And I think of the years. . . . . . . And the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man. . . . . . . and nature is cruel.
It's jest to make old age. . . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles. . . . . . . grace and vigour, depart.
There is now a stone. . . . . . . where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass. . . . . . . A young man still dwells,
And now and again. . . . . . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys. . . . . . . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living. . . . . . . life over again.

I think of the years all too few . . . . . . . gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . . . . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people . . . . . . . . open and see.
 
Not a cranky old man. Look closer. . . . . . . see. . . . . . . ME!!

My dad is quite a cranky old man too. On some days, i actually tune out. Mentally drained. But its not so bad nowadays. I've learnt to cope and he has learnt not to be too cranky on me... sometimes.

Try watching the news on tv with him. He'll curse and swear at all the government issues in the country *LOL*. You do not know whether to laugh or cry or just run to another room. Try driving with him in the backseat. You'll wish you can just stop the car in the middle of traffic and run out. For every other thing, he will find some negative thing about it.

But when i get too quiet, he will worry. *LOL*

My dad buys me breakfast every morning after his walks. He bought a whole lot of ham and bacon when he saw that i was so sad when Dom was not eating. He told me... give him some ham. Dom will surely eat ham. He folds all the clothes in the house after the laundry. He wipes my car all the time. He buys me food when i am sick.

How can i be angry with my cranky old dad. They might be cranky most of them time. But i guess if i am at his age and have aches and pains everywhere and with no one to talk to except Dommy and Piper... i could be cranky too.

Be nice to your old folks and if they get too cranky and grumpy, just tune out if you cannot take it. Don't pick fights with them. Don't hurt them with words. Silence is always the better weapon. Its funny. When i am silent, people are always afraid. ^.^

Dom is getting much better. Still wearing his road construction orange top. Still sleeps a lot. But he is eating more. Still loves chicken stew and raw fish. Still handfed. I think he just likes the idea of handfeeding.

Some people say that i should stop handfeeding him and just let him eat on his own or starve. They say that he will eat eventually when he's hungry. I only have one Curly. I don't think i can get to heartless yet. He must eat.. and be well first. He does have springs on his legs again :D