Woody
This happened back in the 90's and I wrote it many years later. It's been posted once but thought I would post it again.
Woody
Years ago, when I was younger and more ambitious, I worked a full time job as a woodworker and I worked a part time job delivering the morning newspaper to 500 plus rural customers and a small number of stores. One of the last stores on my route was a truck stop which was also a restaurant and convenience store. It was opened 24 hours.
I had one customer who would meet me at this store to get his paper. He enjoyed reading the paper with his coffee and breakfast as most people do. I was happy as hell because it saved me a little time, from stopping at his home!
He was an older fella who always had an unlit cigar in his mouth. We didn't know his name so we nicknamed him cigar man.
My wife, would often accompany me to help fold the newspapers leaving me free to drive. When we would reach the truckstop, Cigar man would always be at the door awaiting his delivery. He always had little to say but my wife would often vent about problems at the pressroom and when she was done, Cigar man would always say the same two words, "whatever, right?"
Many years went by and one day Cigar man wasn't at the store so I asked the cashier, where is the guy with the cigar? and the cashier said,"You mean Woody? His wife past away and I haven't seen him since"
My mouth dropped. I felt so bad for the guy. I didn't know if he had family or not. Well, several months went by and I never knew what became of Woody.
Further down the road was an old sanitarian that had been turned into a nursing home. It was situated about halfway up a hill on a road called Mountain Avenue. We delivered about a half dozen papers to individual boxes outside the nursing home. On a cold wintery day, as we drove up to those paper boxes, there was Woody standing there waiting for his paper. We stopped and talked to him for a few moments.
He asked us to come and visit him and we said, "ya we will when we can find the time". I gave him my deepest sympathy over the loss of his wife and he said those same words, "whatever, right?" I answered back "yea whatever Woody!"
Every day from then on he would meet us there and we would talk about the weather or whatever, He always invited us to visit and although we said we would to be polite, I don't think we ever had any intention of doing so.
In the summer, the home allowed him to have a little vegatable garden outside. He had tomatoes cucumbers, corn and would often share them with us. He was so proud of his gardening skills and we often gave him positive feedback about it.
In the summer, the home allowed him to have a little vegatable garden outside. He had tomatoes cucumbers, corn and would often share them with us. He was so proud of his gardening skills and we often gave him positive feedback about it.
One Sunday afternoon I told my mife, "Look, we're not doing anything today, we should go visit Woody! We keep saying we'll go but we never do and that's just not right." I had to promise my wife that we would only stay for 5 or 10 minutes. So we went.
Woody was on the top floor of the old four story brick building in a room that had antique fixtures in the baths and a clean room with a bed that had been made. My wife sat in the only chair and I sat on the bed. Woody opens his closet and brings out box after box of scrapbooks. He made sure there was a scrapbook in our lap the whole time we were there which ended up being about 6 hours!
He was telling us the story of his life through his scrapbooks! And wow! what a life it was! It puts mine to shame! He had a grown daughter who worked for the international Red Cross in Europe someplace, he didn't know exactly where. He had been in the army for 20 years and served his country. He had scarpbooks filled with medals he acheived while in the service. He had acconplished alot in his life! He had a great life, he traveled the world and made many friends who were probably either deceased or in a nursing home like he was. It was interesting learning all about him, asking questions and getting a personal narration as to what we were looking at. That day before we left he gave us alot of fresh garden veggies and we thanked him and left.
Several months later, we were checking over our early morning subscription stops for the day, we noticed all the nursing home papers were stopped!
After further research, we learned the nursing home had closed due to the high cost of maintainance. The company could not afford to bring it up to code. All of the patients had transfered to other nursing homes. I stopped someone coming out of the nursing home the following morning and I asked if she knew where Woody was sent and she said she thought up in Dover ....which was 100 miles away... In those days when I was working practically around the clock, 7 days a week, so there was a part of me which knew I would never see Woody again. My heart sank!
Every morning from then on as I drove by the old nursing home to deliver, further up the hill, I would notice Woody's garden unkept and overgrown with weeds and grass. Where there was once a conduit that tied three people together; sharing our bounty with each other, no matter if they be food or just our time with a little friendly conversation; was now dead and rotted.
Whenever I think of Woody I find myself wishing I had spent more time with him but the same is true for all of my friends and family who have gone before me.... Not enough time to talk, not enough time to say goodbye, the list is endless and we wind up leaving this earth with "unfinished business"!..........Maybe in the afterlife....."whatever, right?"
Thankyou for reading this! Please visit the Woody in your life!
God Bless
Thankyou for reading this! Please visit the Woody in your life!
God Bless
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You are so right about visiting the "woody" in your life. It's a beautiful way to cherish those moments that are now memories. To see a person's face light up as they remember "happy" and "joy" and find their way to peace is awesome!
Thank you for sharing!
bob are you doing ok? with these reminiscent type posts I worry you are not good in your space between ears....
but hopeful you are doing ok....
Thank you for sharing your story of Woody. That is a special story about a man who obviously made quite the impression on your life. I think all of us have a Woody in our life. Hugs Debbie
ur a good man. that was a sweet story. hugs.
Oh, I love this story Bob, gave me the tingles - do you know how much that 6 hour visit would have meant to him, am so glad you got to do that and gave him Woody time, 'the conduit that tied three people together', so poignant and meaningful. You are such a great, loving, kind man and that's why we all love you x
Thanks for sharing this beautiful story Bob!
What a beautiful story...thank you for sharing..it def made me tear up.
This is a great story bob. Thanks. I am on a plan for my nursing degree and am working a few evenings a week as a cna at a local convalescent home. Just starting and I am humbled by helping these folks and bringing something into their lives.
Big squishy hug Bob.... I agree that it's a lovely story that you've shared and good food for thought..... xo
I read this poem when I was much younger working in a long term care facility
What do you see, nurse… what do you see? Are you thinking – when you look at me:
“A crabbed old woman, not very wise; Uncertain of habit with far-away eyes,
Who dribbles her 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 stocking 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 move at your bidding, 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 girl of sixteen with wings on her feet,
Dreaming that soon a love she’ll meet;
– A bride 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 build a secure, happy home. – A woman of thirty, my young now grow fast.
Bound together with ties that should last.
– At forty, my young sons have grown up and gone,
But my man’s beside me to see I don’t mourn; – At fifty once more babies play ’round my knee
Again we know children, my loved ones and me…
Dark days are upon me, my husband is 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 an old woman now, and nature is cruel. ‘Tis her jest to make old age look like a fool. The body, it crumbles, grace and vigor depart. There is a stone where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells, And now again my bittered 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, nurse, open and see… not a crabbed old woman.
Look closer… see me!
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@ Sun CloudJD
I am going to save that poem. Thankyou for sharing and yes, older people just want to be acknowledged. They just want to know that they lived a good, fulfilling, life and that their lives are still useful if only to share their past with others. That's what I learned from the whole experience with Woody who just wanted to be a small part of someone else's life so he can feel like a worthy human being again.
Thankyou!
@ Mid
Yes! Woody's face would light up when he saw us coming. In the cold of winter, he would wait outside by those paper boxes for his paper....just so he could chat with us for a short time. Sometimes it was subzero weather but he rarely missed a day unless the papers were late. That's how bad he wanted human contact. He was willing to deal with freezing weather just to say hello to us. \
Thankyou!
@ Bill That's a good question which deserves an answer!
I try to inspire people with my journals. Nobody wants to hear about a mundane life unless It has an inspiring story weaved around it. It's easy to do if you look at your life, in that way. Every day, I am excited to get out of bed because I know something good will happen to inspire me and make life worth living and manifest Love and happiness within me! So I tend to write about them. but most of my newer ones are saved on another site. I have been digging up older, inspiring, "gems" for the post migration members.
~~~Peace~~~
@sunsetyellow2 Yes, I agree. and I have to forgive myself for not visiting my own relatives in nursing homes in the twilight of their lives. I had a cousin who recently past away of ms and was in the nursing home for most of his adult life. I was so busy with my own life, I never visited him until I heard he was in end stage.... I made myself go visit him. He was so happy to see me. I stayed quite awhile and talked to him about alot of different things and when I finally left, I told him I would be back. Unfortunately, he died a few days later. I think I had him in the back of my mind when I wrote this. Lesson learned.
Thankyou!
@ Reerose You are a good woman!
Thankyou for being here!