It's amazing how the smallest things in life can give you the greatest pleasures. Today after work I went down to dad and moms house. I wanted to pick up some mat board as earlier I had taken the wrong board, I had white and needed off white. I also wanted to leave the two pics that I had framed (earlier blog) for dad to see.
When I got to their house I left the two framed prints in the living room and since dads room light was glowing I decided to peek in and see if he was OK. Dad was not sleeping, I guess he did not sleep all night and was quite hungry. He asked me to cut him two pieces of thinly sliced headcheese. I went to the kitchen and did as he asked. I cut the headcheese into easily handled thin squares and then took the plate with fork to dad. I then helped prop a pillow under his head so he could sit up a bit and eat more comfortably.
It is amazing how good I felt after doing something as simple as that. While I went and got my mat board dad ate up everything. I came back and we had a short talk. He told me how he still sometimes dreams and often in his dreams he is planning all the stuff he will do that day, he will do this and he will do that. Then dad wakes up and realizes he can do nothing, that he is trapped in bed.
When I was younger I worked at a veterans centre in dietary. I used to help the old men who lived there with their food. I used to talk and share stories with them, it was a great life experience. I was quite young, in my late teens and early 20s but I remember thinking at the time that I would be these men some day. I would be the guy in the wheel chair after a stroke had destroyed half by body, shuffling along with one arm and one leg down the hallway. I would be the guy with the inserted catheter peeing into a plastic bag. That would be me!
I need to do my things while I can. Soon I will be dad or I will be the men at the veterans centre. I cannot wait to much longer I need to get on with it. I need to start making my photographs with total commitment. I need to throw everything I have into my photography, before it's to late. I need to complete my goals so they can become a reality and or not only dreams. I need to pay back dads love with important photographs. I need to tell the stories of the forgotten people. I owe a huge debt to all those who have helped me in life, I need to repay it by making a positive contribution before my time is up.
Today thou giving dad his headcheese and hearing his thank you was more than enough for me, I feel happy.
When I got to their house I left the two framed prints in the living room and since dads room light was glowing I decided to peek in and see if he was OK. Dad was not sleeping, I guess he did not sleep all night and was quite hungry. He asked me to cut him two pieces of thinly sliced headcheese. I went to the kitchen and did as he asked. I cut the headcheese into easily handled thin squares and then took the plate with fork to dad. I then helped prop a pillow under his head so he could sit up a bit and eat more comfortably.
It is amazing how good I felt after doing something as simple as that. While I went and got my mat board dad ate up everything. I came back and we had a short talk. He told me how he still sometimes dreams and often in his dreams he is planning all the stuff he will do that day, he will do this and he will do that. Then dad wakes up and realizes he can do nothing, that he is trapped in bed.
When I was younger I worked at a veterans centre in dietary. I used to help the old men who lived there with their food. I used to talk and share stories with them, it was a great life experience. I was quite young, in my late teens and early 20s but I remember thinking at the time that I would be these men some day. I would be the guy in the wheel chair after a stroke had destroyed half by body, shuffling along with one arm and one leg down the hallway. I would be the guy with the inserted catheter peeing into a plastic bag. That would be me!
I need to do my things while I can. Soon I will be dad or I will be the men at the veterans centre. I cannot wait to much longer I need to get on with it. I need to start making my photographs with total commitment. I need to throw everything I have into my photography, before it's to late. I need to complete my goals so they can become a reality and or not only dreams. I need to pay back dads love with important photographs. I need to tell the stories of the forgotten people. I owe a huge debt to all those who have helped me in life, I need to repay it by making a positive contribution before my time is up.
Today thou giving dad his headcheese and hearing his thank you was more than enough for me, I feel happy.
