Saturday, April 10, 2010

I'M SOMEWHERE ELSE

It's weird today. I was up too late last night and slept a little late this morning, but not late enough. I dragged myself around all morning with routine tasks. Caught up on bills, clean up some - but not enough. My middle granddaughter was playing soccer at 1:00 and I planned to go. About 11:30 a laid down for a short nap. There was nothing short about it. Two hours later I hear a very strange escalating screeching sound. I couldn't tell if it was in my dream world or my real world. They were blurring.

Suddenly I sat up with a start and recognized it as the new sound I had put on my cell phone. Not knowing how long it had been ringing and I swing my feet off the sofa, caught a TV tray on which were stacked about 4 inches of loose papers. Everywhere. I mean they flew everywhere. I could hardly step over them to get to the phone. It was my niece Wanda from Louisiana. We talk about every six weeks or so. I could not get focused. I knew it was someone with a bit of a country twang, but I was not sure I even knew this caller. She began talking about familiar things, but I wasn't sure why this person would talk like they knew me. I don;t get phone calls on Saturday. Almost never. Wanda usually calls on Sunday. I became startled enough to figure out who the caller was but struggled the entire conversation to stay on track or follow what was going on.

Half way through our conversation I looked at the clock and it was 1:45. I guess I was not going to make the soccer game. Disappointed. But with it being so late I kept talking to Wanda — actually listening is more like it. She would stop and leave space for me to join in or comment. I was often blank and getting more embarrassed by the moment. I can usually talk. Especially in a two person conversation.

After the call was over, I plopped into my recliner and stared into space. Since I had never opened the blinds the stare did not go very far. I turned on TV wanting to catch up on some programs I had taped. Saw a couple and it was time to go upstairs to eat with some of the residents. Maria as cooked up some pork roast and potatoes and wanted to share with a few. There ended up being six women and myself. No that unusual since I am the only guy who comes out of my enclosed space in this building. The bad part was that the entire time we talked, I could not stay focused, did not enter the conversation since I never was tracking with the proceedings. I was in another world. The worst of it was I did not know what world I was in or even whether is was a fun place to visit. Kiki sat on my right and speaks low with an accent and today I never once understood a since word she said. Obviously I nodded and shook my head somewhat appropriately as she never challenged me. Soon it was obvious to others I was somewhere else, so I excused myself and came back for another nap. This time I hoped to visit someplace fun. Didn't happen. I'm still somewhere else.

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