Monday, September 10, 2012

A Few Humorous Stories from 24 Years at Menard Manor

The first story happened when I had only been working at Menard Manor for a few months.  I had decided to touchup the scratches and re-varnish the desk at the nurse’s station. There were always three or four little old ladies or little old men sitting in their wheelchairs by the nurse’s station.  One of the little old ladies was a nice lady that my dad and I had done several carpenter jobs for her years before I went to work at the manor.  So, I was under the impression that she recognized me.  I was varnishing the nurse’s station desk, and she decided she would watch me.  She kept telling me what a wonderful job I was doing and how fast I was at varnishing the desk.  She said they were so lucky to have me working at the manor.  So, later in the day, I was varnishing on the back side of the nurse’s desk.  I guess she didn’t realize I was back there.  So, she turned to this little old lady sitting by her and she said, “I don’t think he will ever finish varnishing that desk, most people could have painted a whole house in the time it has taken him to varnish this desk”.
     When I went to work in nineteen eighty eight, the heating and air conditioners in the manor, were old and needing to be replaced.  The middle air conditioner was constantly giving trouble.  I had not been working at Menard Manor, so I still had a lot to learn.  Ruth McCoy and I were walking down the hall one day.  Someone hollered from one of the rooms for Ruth.  He wanted to talk to her.  He was an older Spanish known to use some pretty rough language.  I guess he didn’t see me standing in the hall.  I heard him ask her, “When are they going to get the air conditioning fixed?”   Ruth told him, “Have you ask John about getting it fixed?”  He told her, “I have already told that S.O.B and he’s not going to do a G.D. thing about it.”  When Ruth came out of the room, she said, “I hope you didn’t hear what he said.”  I was laughing so hard I couldn’t talk.  I did get the air conditioner fixed and this old fellow and I became pretty good friends. 
     The last story I want to tell is about the time we were getting a young lady in the independent living wing of Menard Manor.  I will not name any names.  At the time this young lady was in her late thirties.  She was an attractive lady.  But, she has a disability.  So, one of the older ladies in the retirement center did not want her moving into the retirement center, especially since the young lady was moving into a room right next door to this lady.  So, this older lady complained to anyone who would listen, that she did not think they should allow this young lady to move into the retirement center.  She had heard all kinds of gossip about this young lady, and she thought it would be nothing but trouble if they allow this young lady to move in.  I guess she thought I had some kind of authority to stop this young lady from moving in.  So, she asked me if she could talk to me in private.  I told her sure.  She told this me woman was going to be nothing but trouble and she was wondering if there was anyway I could put a stop to her moving into the retirement center.  I told her, “Now so and so, the Christian thing to do is give this young lady a chance.”  She told me, “Well that might be the Christian thing to do, but that is not the right thing to do.”  I couldn’t think of any thing to say after that.  So, I just walked off.

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