A Real Pain
I'm sick and tired of taking care of a senior.
Dear Amy Herlihy:
Thank you so much for your letter about "putting a little more vacation" into my life by offering a chance for some respite care at your Newton facility for "the senior" in my life. Having had some personal, sad experiences with Alzheimer's disease in my family, I know how valuable this service can be for caregivers and patients alike. So I am grateful for your concern as your center's admissions director. The problem is that, baby boomer that I am, I am the senior in my life. I know I am a senior because the AARP sent me a card milliseconds after I turned 50, even though I never had had any contact with the organization in my life. (I think they sawed me in half while I was sleeping and counted my rings.) I also know I am a senior because my knees occasionally feel as though someone has placed tiny wolverines in them. And there is no question that I could use a few hours' respite every day from myself. In the first place, I've heard all my old stories before, usually told better, often by me. I am becoming bored with me. I'm tired of taking care of my every need. When I want to eat, who has to feed me? I'm not much of a golf partner for myself anymore, either. I could use a break from me. There's no question about that. I am very tired of taking care of my every need, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If I could park myself with you folks for a few days and go off to be someone else, that would be wonderful. (Brad Pitt, maybe, although the technology may not yet exist.) But if I need a break from the endless work of taking care of me, I think I'll still hope for Cancun.
Charles P. Pierce
