Boys & Girls, what happens on Mondays?

Darren LongLeave a comment

That is correct, students, it is that Psych-lady day. Good… Good…

Students, what was learned from the Psych-lady today? Oh, not much. Just a comfortable conversation.

But! I was granted the (PLEASE!) CHOOSE A NEW FOOD request from her. The place selected was Smashburger that is located nearby. Chosen (by yours truly) to be not near enough to be walked. Thus, we had to climb into a vehicle owned by Ms. Psych-lady so she would drive us over there.

I think to myself… “Self, are we going to be lucky enough to stay at Smashburger and have our meeting there?”

Now, for some reason, she chose (against my will) to order and leave the restaurant just like a Chipolte.

Why was this answer from her mouth turning out to be a negative “No” after asking nicely in a questionable voice. THERE WAS NO OTHER CUSTOMERS THERE!

Hmmm…. Maybe there is other worthy ways of obtaining a positive “yes”? Maybe. I will have to try a different way of receiving my wish next time. We will just have to wait and see what I can think of happening at the NEXT meeting. Will it be a success??

Anyway… went back to the office… ate… spoke… listened… thanked… scheduled next week… That’s about it.

WE WILL ALL RECOGNIZE IF I AM A SUCCESS…. NEXT WEEK!!

Vol-un-teer…. Vol-un-teer….

Darren LongLeave a comment

A-ha! Yesssss… Woo Hoo! Today was that day that I did my Friday Volunteering at the Hospital as a “Lone Greeter”. Yes, boys and girls, I was sitting right there a-greetin’.

“Good Morning…”

“Good Morning…”

All this is while I sit alone… Alone and watching the doors to greet people to create the extremely tough time of working. I was extremely happy with the way that was when I was there, but yet tired. One thing I probably didn’t really need to happen is wait for the next person to show up after lunch. I’ve always felt sorry for people coming in the during the eating period. In past weeks, I have eaten lunch with the person taking my place. What does that mean? No one at the front desk while we were both are at lunch!

So, I was just taking it upon myself to keep greeting these people while they come in until that next person finishes his lunch at a later time and takes my place. This is NO PROBLEM to me. These volunteer people only want me volunteering my 4 hours at a time and 4 hours per week. What? Whatever. Heck, I’d volunteer 24 hours per day.

So, the next person came to take my place after I chose to sit and work an extra 30 or 60 or whatever minutes (I wasn’t keeping track) and I went to go eat. Got my FREE lunch and before I leave I need to stop by and sign myself in/out on the paper and log how many hours worked. I just write FOUR HOURS every time. No more. That’s all. Period. THE END.

I could work for Nineteen hours there and still log down I was only there for FOUR, just to keep everyone happy.

Enough of that… Got that off my chest… Hmmmmm….

Why am I passing this liquid from my eyes?

Darren LongLeave a comment

I just finished watching a documentary on Netflix called Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory.

Very interesting. This is EXACTLY all about the way music helps a brain that isn’t “working correctly” to “work better”. That’s one way to say it. Showing how some older people in a hospital/nursing home are “unresponsive”, but then given music the person would know (via iPad) and played through headphones. Ohhhh… This makes the unresponsive person do anything, very responsive as long as it is music they enjoy.

This is EXACTLY like what the movie Awakenings (Robin Williams) does with the patients there at that hospital.

What I was seeing was a person’s mother, who had been entirely unresponsive to everything for years, start singing and “awakening” when there was music being played to them using the headphones and iPad. It was incredible. It shown a lady who was understood to be unable to stand and walk on her own, but when she heard the music she recognized and enjoyed, she stood and danced. It was incredible.

ok ok ok….. Enough of those tears. I’m getting back to reading that book that I was reading yesterday.

D-E-N-I-A-L Again! (well, done differently)

Darren Long1 Comment

Today is Monday morning and I actually arose up out of bed at an UNBELIEVABLY early time of 7:00!! This might be based upon the fact that I had purchased a book to read last night (I’ll discuss that later).

Anyway, I get up, get dressed with music playing REALLY LOUD and start eating cereal when the cell phone makes the “answer-me” noise. Oh great. Now I have to run back to the room behind myself to turn down the music. Then….

“Hello?”

“Yeah, I had told you that you could have come in today, but, uh, you can’t. I just have other things to do.”

“Oh. I kinda guessed that maybe you didn’t mean to arrange the original meeting on a special holiday like today. I am guessing that now I will have to find something else to do. Will it be better or worse than seeing you? That is a good question.”

“Uh, yeah. Well, I’ll see you next week at 11:00.”

“Eh, okay. 11 o’clock it is.”

So, as you may see, we have very important and worthwhile conversations while speaking on the phone. Saddening & weakening conversations. But yet, important. So….

NEXT thing I am going to type about is this book I started to read last night. I have seen the preview of a movie that is supposed to come out soon (maybe in a month or two or something like that). That movie looks saddening because of a “difference” the person has. YES, it looks similar to other movies/stories that I’ve typed about before. Not the happiest thing in the world the entire movie, but worthy of my wanting to watch. Oh wait. You want the title?

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Anyway, I saw this preview and knew it wasn’t out yet. So I told myself…

“Self, lets see if there is a BOOK and read that first!”

Yep. There is. That’s what I’m doing before the movie is released. The story is teenagers and the book itself is written at that level. Easy read.

Ahh. I was just looking to see when this movie was coming out…. June 12th.

Official Friday Volunteering!

Darren Long1 Comment

That’s it folks. I did it. I got my official day (the lady-helper was there, but for the last time). Friday morning is MY DAY at MY ENTRANCE into the hospital. I’m ready now. Every Friday. Every Friday. Every Friday. Well, except if I am doing something like going on a cruise. (But that’s later down the road. A small road.)

How was today? Well, if I have to say that if every Friday is like today, I did good job at getting intelligently chosen to work a hospital entrance desk. This is complicated, but it still can be done…

“Good Morning…”

“Good Morning…”

Friday is a day where not as many people who are needing my help (hopefully). There was several that really needed it, and the lady with me just showed how to help those few people in the future. I’m sure it could have gone just fine, but I just needed her to show me to make sure I had it correct. Now, I’ll just have to wing it.

Ah! I did see that Occupational Therapist lady passing “quickly” into the building again today!

“Uh, ma’am. You need to slow down.”

She looked over, saw me, recognized me, smiled, yelled “HEY!” and waved to me.

That’s it… I hope she decides to put on some breaks to stop for a bit to talk….. maybe next time.

Yes. Today was a good day. But it is cold outside. I forgot my coat at the hospital.

Ah, I just remember where…