I live in an apartment under a woman who is 100 years old. Above her, my parents live in a lovely little apartment overlooking the going-ons of our neighbourhood. Our 'in between' neighbour has seen a lot in her life such a immigrating to Canada, both world wars, raising children and losing her husband. She has children, grand children and even great grand children. She even has a granddaughter who shares my first name and always tells me about her whenever I pass her door. This lady could likely be one of the most interesting people I've met in my life (mostly because she is the oldest woman I have ever met, but being a polish immigrant also adds some extra interest to the compilation of her life for me). Unfortunately, I will never know much about her except that she is alone, her children never visit her and she barely knows her grandchildren or their children. I, of course, have no idea why they never visit, or call or why she is left alone for most of her days. From what I can tell, it's because she is mean. But you can't help but wonder- was she always mean? or is she mean now because she's alone and isolated. In most of her conversations she tells you about people who have done her wrong, how her husband ("who was a wonderful man") made sure that her children blamed her for their lives and that her life is sad and lonely.
Our personal issues aside (she isn't a dog lover and loves to complain about any action any one partakes in), I feel sorry for her. Here she is at 100 years old and not a person to care enough to visit with her or take her out- ever. I have lived with her three years, and in those three years, she left the house only for her 100th birthday. After her birthday passed she was left to spend her days in bitter isolation once again.
She may have always been mean, maybe that's why her children don't bother with her, and maybe that's why she is so alone. It seems to me however, that isolating a mean person makes a worse person.
I am a friendly person, but coop me up for 3 days and you won't think so. Not everyone dwells on the bad things, but we all know that when happy moments are few, or when you've spent most of your life too busy to enjoy it, or you're left completely alone all of the time, that when you are no longer busy, all you have left is bitterness.
This has just made me realize that if you don't take time to maintain relationships, if you don't take time to be kind to others, if you don't take time to appreciate the good things then in the end, all you will be left with is resentment and anger.
I'm a social person, who loves to be out and about but since school has ended and my relationship has taken a lag, I find myself overly sensitive and easily angered. I think this is just proof of how easy it will be to get lost in anger in old age. I'm young, so I will most likely come out of my rut, regain relationships and carry on quite happily but it's easy to get caught up in injustices, the unfair and the ugly.
You don't have to be 'happy'. You just have to let yourself enjoy people, enjoy things and try not to focus too much on things that harbour negative emotions.
I can imagine that if at 100, I am completely alone, I will see no point in being kind to a world, or anyone in it that has done nothing but abandoned me in my most fragile state, for whatever the reason.
After having said all that, I am going to post my most favourite thing to listen to when I'm feeling down, unmotivated, unhappy and particularly bad about myself.
Baz Luhrman- Everybody wears sunscreen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI
JC
Our personal issues aside (she isn't a dog lover and loves to complain about any action any one partakes in), I feel sorry for her. Here she is at 100 years old and not a person to care enough to visit with her or take her out- ever. I have lived with her three years, and in those three years, she left the house only for her 100th birthday. After her birthday passed she was left to spend her days in bitter isolation once again.
She may have always been mean, maybe that's why her children don't bother with her, and maybe that's why she is so alone. It seems to me however, that isolating a mean person makes a worse person.
I am a friendly person, but coop me up for 3 days and you won't think so. Not everyone dwells on the bad things, but we all know that when happy moments are few, or when you've spent most of your life too busy to enjoy it, or you're left completely alone all of the time, that when you are no longer busy, all you have left is bitterness.
This has just made me realize that if you don't take time to maintain relationships, if you don't take time to be kind to others, if you don't take time to appreciate the good things then in the end, all you will be left with is resentment and anger.
I'm a social person, who loves to be out and about but since school has ended and my relationship has taken a lag, I find myself overly sensitive and easily angered. I think this is just proof of how easy it will be to get lost in anger in old age. I'm young, so I will most likely come out of my rut, regain relationships and carry on quite happily but it's easy to get caught up in injustices, the unfair and the ugly.
You don't have to be 'happy'. You just have to let yourself enjoy people, enjoy things and try not to focus too much on things that harbour negative emotions.
I can imagine that if at 100, I am completely alone, I will see no point in being kind to a world, or anyone in it that has done nothing but abandoned me in my most fragile state, for whatever the reason.
After having said all that, I am going to post my most favourite thing to listen to when I'm feeling down, unmotivated, unhappy and particularly bad about myself.
Baz Luhrman- Everybody wears sunscreen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI
JC
No comments:
Post a Comment