As you may have gathered from previous posts, I work in the customer service sector. It can be a very trying job at times, but it works for those of us who genuinely want to help people and solve their problems. Yesterday, well at work, I came into contact with an individual that caused me to nearly cry. I received a call from a gentleman who was happy to talk. Come to learn over the course of the conversation, this gentleman was a disabled veteran with 100% service through the VA. He had been married several times previously and enjoyed funny things in life. And before we disconnected after an hour and a half, he told me to call him anytime, that he would talk my ear off. I came to realize that this is a man who is lonely, who has limited human contact, who wanted to call a utility company, knowing someone would answer and talk to him.
Speaking to him made me think about how lucky I really am. I am a young woman who is engaged to a wonderful man. I am able-bodied with no physical limitation other than one I put upon myself. Most of all, I have people around me to talk to, fulfilling a basic human need. It really made me feel badly for the gentleman on the phone. He clearly wanted someone to talk to. A previous agent had spoken with him and had complained the entire time about being on the phone for so long a time. I couldn't hang up on him because all I could think about was things I learned through my maternal grandmother.
I can't remember a time without my grandmother living with my family. I remember her apartment being built on to our home and vaguely remember when she formally moved in. I remember alternating nights and how dinner was arranged. One night, she would come down stairs and have dinner at our house, the next night with my grandmother at her house, three steps up. I remember talking her walking cane and pretending my sisters and I were performing. We would put on skits and plays, act out our days and what we had seen. I remember her laugh. One of the most memorable moments would have to be over Christmas. My mom had gotten some Christmas crackers that had whistles in them with music. We had so much fun trying to remember which whistle was ours...
I also remember watching my Nanna growing older. I recall the conversation that began to come up about how she needed help. Our busy schedule did not allow us to dedicate the time and care to her needs. Nanna was put into an assisted living facility and we visited her often. We took glamour shots with her (what great memories in those pictures) and went to dances. During those dances, my sisters and I would dance with anyone. It became obvious that some people there did not have family visit them, hadn't had family visit them for some time. Interacting with myself and my sisters, I could see a light inside them, the smiles shining radiantly from their faces.
Why do we walk away from our veterans, the disabled or the elderly? We can learn so much from all of them. Veterans hold information that could help prevent war and conflict in the future, as well as stories of brotherhood, camaraderie, and teamwork. The disabled, no matter the disability, can teach us how to live life without allowing obstacles to get in our way. The elderly can teach us about their lives, allowing us to learn from the mistakes of their generations, learn about our ancestors and just about what is important in life. Just because someone may seem to be a blemish on the world does not mean they are devoid of any merit. The people we abandon are most commonly those people we can learn the most from. Remember to take time to speak to those who want someone to listen. You can do a lot for someone just by lending an ear.
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