More on Aging

I recall a year when my grandma came to visit.  Though Grandma did visit on occasion, at that particular time I am thinking of, Mom and at least two of her children were working at Snelgrove's (though I don't remember which two)

          As with many who advance in age, Grandma's sense of hearing was not the greatest.  We would have to raise our voices to her and she kept the volume on the TV at least 20 decibels higher than we would normally allow.

          There were a few nights when mom would have to be to work at Snelgrove's during Grandma's visit.  After having spent all day raising her voice to my grandma, she would continue to speak in her loud tones.  I still smile when I think of other employees asking her why she was yelling or raising her voice - only she wasn't aware that she was.  And she'd explain that her mother was visiting and was also hard of hearing.  Sometimes I think it frustrated her - probably because my mom's voice wasn't all that loud even when she was yelling.

          Roland doesn't have the TV up to that same decibel as my grandma did, but often it is still louder than I like.  He seems to be hearing less each year and the darn TV seems to be getting louder.  I know my hearing isn't the best, but I think I can hear some sounds better than he can.  One of the "Brain Game" challenges is to show what stage we are in with our ability to hear.  The host, Jason Silva, would ask participants to raise their hands when they could hear the sound.  Jenna would raise her hand three or four times.  I did it once.  Poor Roland couldn't hear any of the "pitches" being played. 

          He doesn't often understand the words that Jenna and I say in conversation, but he does always hear Jenna's voice.  On occasion she has overpowered the sounds of the TV. She does tend to be loud.  But not always.  Sometimes she seems distant or withdrawn.  At those times, she speaks with the voice of an ant and I don't even think a dog would be able to hear her.

          My mom lost her sense of smell when she was quite young.  But she never lost her hearing.  Sometimes I think she could hear sounds that only dogs can hear.  I think before September 1, 2013 her hearing was better than mine is now, and definitely better than Roland's.  September 1 is when my mom went into the hospital for the last time and seemed to linger between worlds for the next ten days.  I don't know what her hearing was at that time.  Probably even better.  It was hard to tell as she seemed to be in and out of being.  I know she was hearing sounds from the other side.

          We don't move like we used to - especially if we have to bend, squat or sit down and rise back up again.  I don't remember a time when Roland seemed so out-of-shape.  He's really not.  He still lifts and moves things like he thinks he is 20.  But time is catching up with him although he actually does quite well for being 62.  Not that 62 is that old.  But the signs of aging are definitely there.  For both of us.

          I think Jenna is responsible for keeping us as young as we have been.  Lately she's our eyes and ears.  I had to give her a bottle of something the other day so that she could read the directions to me.  Gads, if the company is going to print the directions that small, they need to enclose a magnifying glass for the older generations who may need it.

          Today Roland attempted to fix a switch in the our bathroom.  He asked me to stay in the room and let him know when the power went off in that room. I could hear him fine, but her couldn't hear my replies.  He had Jenna standing in the hall to pass on my answers.

          I still find that I am very wobbly first thing in the morning, and have the walker near where I can get at it should I need the assistance.  I think we have older neighbors across the street.  All three of them have long ramps that would work well for wheel chairs.  I have seen the "senior mobile" pick up two of my neighbors, and I have met three of our neighbors now.  Roland has only met the couple next door - the one who made their son mow our lawn.  It was dad that finished mowing though.  He is young!  I think he resembles my cousin who lives in Salem - a cousin whom I really don't know but have seen his picture on facebook.

          Young people have their strengths.  They also have their weaknesses.  Same with the older folk.  We have our strengths and have lost much of what used to be our strength.  Our bodies shut down if they can't be repaired - or seem to leak more than they should.  We're more dependent on technological aides and other people to assist us.