Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
And It’s Not Pretend
I fear my world getting smaller, the width of a bed, perhaps, and having strange people decide for me what makes me happy and what I think and what my real name is.
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Written in response to a Trifecta Writing Challenge: 33 words on what scares you.
15 Comments on “And It’s Not Pretend”
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Snow Door | wisconsinacademy.org
Listen to Jan read her essay “Billy” presented on WUWM’s Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “At the Breakfast Bar” on WUWM Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “The Parish Hall,” on WUWM Lake Effect
“Fury Cannot Touch Me,” Modern Love, NYT, 9/29/11
You’ve done a fantastic job depicting what I imagine so many feel. Well done!
having others decide your real name
What an awesome way to describe that fear!
A genuine fear I think many can relate to and so well written. Thanks for linking up! Voting is now open!
That is a very scary thought….how can other people decide what will make you happy?
This is great work.
I like the way you wrote this. When I was in college, I took several courses in geriatric psychology (psychology was my major.) It was fairly well documented that death happens faster in nursing home settings when the residents didn’t have the ability to make decisions for themselves. It’s like they would give up because there was nothing really left to live for.
I think there is a big giving up component to aging and it’s really correlated to loss of control. I agree with you.
Wow powerful 33 words. I just came my first Death Cafe, discussing advanced directives. Very nice.
Thank you!
This is really touching – a moving piece!
Thank you!
A sister said this another way of our Grama ” she just got smaller and smaller” loved this piece
Wow! Both of my parents-in-law were in nursing homes and this post really sums it up. I’m hoping that one of the benefits of having 7 kids is that I never have to be in such a scary situation. Amazing that you can say it so concisely!
You’ve come at this fear in a fresh way (if that makes sense). I really am moved by this piece. Well done!
Thank you! What a great comment to see.