A Life Ever Changing

by Angel

 

#1 - Yesterday

"Yesterday...all my troubles seemed so far away..." -- The Beatles

 

Once upon a time, long, long ago...

...A 16 year old boy fresh and innocent in the ways of the world... ...needed a full time job close to home. It just so happened that a nursing home stood just down the street from his house.

His mother (full of wisdom and wishing to still hold the reins) instructed her son in just what to...wear, say, walk, talk and anything else she could think of! Of course the tired old refrain of "cut your hair" was added and ignored as was usual. LOL...

The year? 1969! (Parents were divorced sad to say)

So, scrubbed groomed and smelling good, the young man got up the courage and walked into the nursing home. He went up to the glassed in main desk and said the all-important words, "I am looking for a job". The old white haired lady looked up and at me for a few seconds and then asked; "You're a boy?"

 

* * *

 

I was a little startled by that question; I mean how do you answer something like that? So I didn't.

She told me to have a seat and wait for a minute. I did, getting more nervous by the second. A nice-looking well-starched lady dressed in white with a little cap on her head came out and introduced herself to me as Mrs. Brown. I told her my name was Rich and she told me to follow her.

Well, I followed her down a long hall, which smelled pretty heavy to say the least. We ended up in a lunchroom. (A nice one that I later found out was the nurses' only dining room).

The interrogation began in earnest then! I mean of all the stupid questions, why was she asking me if I liked girls? Of course I said I did and that I had a girlfriend. She seemed to relax then, why? (I know now, but I didn't back then!)

All the regular stuff was explained to me and I was offered a job for a great wage!!!! $1.25 an hour!!! I was in heaven!!! Now for the other stuff....

Uniforms, all white, white socks and white shoes. My hair (long) was to be tied back or braided. (BRAIDED!!! NO FRIPSY WAY!) Clean-shaven was a must and no underwear that would show through my uniform was allowed. (Was she serious? GEEZ!) I think she liked seeing me turn red as a beet! She then asked me to follow her again so she could introduce me to everybody. Ok, what the heck. (I did not know then that I was the first ever male to be hired by this facility.)

The introductions were very strange indeed! I was receiving some very strange looks from everybody and the DON (as she told me she was) had a stupid grin on her face the whole time. A lot of female teens worked there and just about every one giggled as I was introduced as a new "floor" employee. Floor employee? What the heck was that I wondered?

One of the older "floor employees" looked at me and said "Wonderful, we can sure use him around here".

I liked that and decided right then I liked her a lot! Her name was Mary and I will never forget her. God rest her soul.

 

 

 

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© 2002 by Angel O'Hare. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.