Saturday or Sunday?

A clip (which you may have seen) crossed my desk the other day. It was about a senior woman who was on the phone talking to the circulation department of her daily newspaper. Asking why she didn't receive her Sunday paper, she was politely told that it was Saturday and her paper wouldn't arrive until the next day. "Oh," she exclaimed, "that's why there weren't any people in church this morning."

Another senior moment we mutter. Of course, this has never happened to us, getting the days of the week mixed up. Right? When we were in the workaday world (or our spouse was), it was much easier keeping track of the day. Or when we had kids in school. Or when we were in school ourselves. Then it was easy.

Quite often when I receive a telephone call from a friend or relative, they ask, "How did your day (or week) go? What are you up to? Anything exciting?"

Or, "What do you do with your time?" My reply is often vague. It was much easier to rattle off happenings when there were happenings. But now when it doesn't often matter if it's Tuesday or Thursday, or when all days seem like Saturdays. Or like we're on vacation all the time. What do we say? Listen.

"Well, today I got up, did a couple of exercises, took my pills (the ones that go on an empty stomach) and then ate breakfast. Then took the pills that go on a full stomach (although I didn't eat that much). If I didn't make the bed, I go make it and then check the news (while eating we listen to her program). Since our newspaper arrives mid-afternoon M-F (mornings on weekends), I may sit down and dig into the pile of magazines still unread (or unfinished). I usually have 3-4 books I'm reading at the same time (no deadlines)."

If it's raining, I check it out. If it's snowing, I wonder when we'll get plowed (condo living has some advantages). If the sun is shining, I'll check the temp on the unheated sun porch and we may or may not have morning coffee out there. Then it's time for lunch and when I'm asked, "Do you want tea or guava juice, or do you half or a whole sandwich?" I pause for a moment or two. Then comes the inevitable, "Did you hear me?"

It's easy to see why callers should really deliberate before asking how things are going.