Always respect your elders...

Let me start off by saying that I think elderly people are great!  In my current position I talk to elderly people a lot...even though I sometimes have to increase my volume and slow my pace, they are easy to speak with and they have actually witnessed so many things I've only read about. For example, I recall when I was on a tour of the Bronx Library Center with members of the Bigelow Society (Library donors). I was making conversation and I asked an elderly lady whether she had seen Lincoln Center's South Pacific.  Her response was, "No. I saw the original."  The original debuted in 1949!  Old folks are cool...she saw the original South Pacific.

Anyway, on Thursday I went to the theater, a regular past-time for the elderly, and saw Part 2 of the two-part The Brother/Sister Plays by Tarell Alvin McCraney at The Public Theater.  I'm not going to comment on the plays or give a review except to say I enjoyed the shows (Part 2 contains two plays The Brothers Size and Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet), I recommend that you see it, and Andre Holland (one of my favorite young black actors) is wonderful.

So during intermission I went to the bathroom.  The Public's bathrooms are terrible - entirely too small with only three short stalls and two sinks.  I was at one sink and two women (one elderly and one middle-aged) left their stalls at the same time and had a little "dance" over who would use the second sink.  The elderly woman elegantly gestured for the younger one to use the sink.  I was already in the process of washing my hand, my sink's water was running, and the elderly lady dashed her hands under my running water.  I thought, "Oh, she's wetting her hands before getting soap."  But no sooner had I thought that, she was reaching for a paper towel.  I was shocked, so I said,

[Sweetly, almost sing-songy] "You must use soap."
"Soap?"
"Yes, soap. In these times, you must use soap."
[Hesitation] "Oh, well I'm not going to be eating anything."
"Well, remind me to not touch any door knobs that you touch."

I mean, there is H1N1, the regular flu, colds and all kinds of germs and this old lady, who is at risk of dying if she gets most illnesses,  had the nerve to reach into my water, then not use soap!  I never say a contrary word to the elderly but her nasty act completely blew me away and I couldn't keep my mouth shut.  She should know better!  I know men leave the bathroom without a proper washing (GROSS!!), but LADIES, and elderly ladies at that, I expect better, especially when other women are around.

But of course elderly folks don't care one bit about what anyone has to say, so true to form after her two second hand-wetting, she slowly eased her way out of the bathroom, despite my mini-lecture.


I went back up to the theater and took my seat, and then as punishment for saying a negative word to that woman, I was stricken with an elderly affliction - falling asleep during the middle of the play. *sigh*  The play was good, so I don't know what came over me.  What I do know is that I won't reprimand another elderly person again...I don't want to fall and break a hip or experience some other common elderly ailment.  Ha!