Last year, I was driving down the street when I saw an elderly woman (80ish) on all fours on the sidewalk and a younger woman (30ish) crouching beside her. Something looked amiss. I pulled over and asked if they needed help.
The elderly woman said “no” and the younger woman said “yes”. In a few minutes, I learned the old woman had tripped and fallen. The younger woman has been jogging when she saw her fall and stopped to help.
The old woman said, “I’m fine. If you can just help me stand up I can walk home.” As I made a quick inquiry and assessment of her overall condition – bruise on head, banged shin and injured wrist – the younger woman said, “Thanks!” and took off.
I didn’t expect to bolt like that. But whatever. I’m good with stuff like this.
I couldn’t convince the old woman to let me drive her home. I lifted her to her feet and insisted that she let me walk her home. She was a bit unsteady.
While walking, I made small talk and tried to determine if she had any symptoms of concussion or serious injury.
I learned she was a widow who lived alone. She decided we should stop at her friends home across the street to let them know she had fallen. Of course, nobody was home.
I sat with her on her porch and tried to convince her to let me take her to the ER or a doctor. She wouldn’t have it. I asked if she had Advil and ice. She did not so I ran home and returned with both for her.
After about an hour, she said she felt fine but was ready to go inside and rest so I left and told her I’d stop by later to check in on her.
Over the next year, I’d see her out walking when I was walking my dogs. She’s wave to me and sometimes we’d walk together for a few short blocks. (Then I’d say goodbye because me and Wiggles can smoke an old lady when it comes to walking far & fast.)
On one of her walks, she talked to me about an elderly man who she saw when she did her daily walks. I hadn’t met him, but had seen him walking many times.
Other than our walks, talks and waving back and forth, I had two memorable experiences centered around my 83 year old girlfriend.
Sometime around Thanksgiving I was coming home from walking Wiggles and saw a car parked in my driveway. An older mag got out with a bag in his hand. I figured he was a Doordash delivery guy at the wrong address.
I said, “Can I help you?”
He responded incredulously, “Can you help me?
I smiled, pointed at my front door where he was headed and said, “That’s my house“.
He said, “Are you Ben?“
I said nope. I didn’t even know any Bens. I asked what address he was looking for. At that point, his wife leaned across the car seat and gave me my address.
I said, that’s my house. But there’s no Ben here.
Then the wife said, “Do you know G***? We’re here to drop of some food for her”
I did. G*** is my 83 yer old girlfriend. She lives exactly one block away from me and her address is identical except for one digit.
So I pointed out her home and sent them on their way.
The most recent incident was last week. I was walk-ing the park and saw G*** and the old man sitting on a bench. They both had canes now to stabilize them when walking. They were were laughing and smiling and chatting with each other with their heads leaned together.
I surreptitiously snapped this photo of them.
Then I stopped to say hello, she introduced me to the old man and said “Look – we’ve both got canes now. And I’m only 83, he’s 91!“
I know they are both widowed. I know she’s alone and he lives with his adult son. It was heartwarming to see they had become close friends.
A while later, I watched as they walked slowly together, helping each other navigate the sidewalks to get back home.