Just put some soot on it

Working in a long term care facility provides great opportunities to hear great stories. Some of them I have shared with friends and have been told many times that I should write those down. So what better place to do that than here. And yes, I have changed the names to protect the innocent. One of my all time favorite stories is from a lady that is no longer with us. Let me provide some background. She was one of the most wonderful and most beautiful women I will ever meet. She was funny and had no bones about speaking what was on her mind. I guess that was a perk of being 98 years old. We would always tell her that when she turned 100 we were going to throw her a party. Her response was always the same, "well, I guess you will have to do it at Memorial Gardens".  One of her days in therapy as we were doing some exercises on the pulleys and joking around she commented about how silly she was. She told me it was probably because of the dent in her head. I just laughed at her assuming it was just one of those things that old ppl say. Then she proceeds to tell me to feel the top of her head. Which I did. ANd there it was! a dent! So this was her story and I am going to attempt to tell it as she did. This I of course paraphrased....but pretty dead on. I heard the story more than once because I had her tell it to me all the time.


"I remember I was somewhere around the age of 5 or 6. I'm not real sure. Old enough to be in school. And one time I was sitting on the floor supposed to be getting ready for school. I was never in a hurry. Well, that would make my brother so mad cuz he was always ready to go and there I would be lagging behind. Well I guess mom had probably told me a hundred times to hurry up. And my brother had to wait on me cuz we had to walk together. (this is where I would always make the snide remark about walking up hill both ways in the snow and she would always say of course). Well, anyway. I guess he had had enough because he picked up a butcher knife and smacked me on the head with it.
(she was all very calm about the whole situation but you can imagine my surprise and all the questions. and yes it was with the sharp end of the knife) well, I was bleeding all over the place. and mom just reached up and got some soot and put it on my head. you know what soot is don't ya. it's that stuff in the stove pipe when you burn wood. well she put it on my head, wrapped it up and sent me to school. after that I was a little faster at getting ready for school. but I do think that is why I am so silly is cuz I have a dent in my head."


I always loved to hear her tell me that story. And every time I asked she would comment that I should know it by now and tell me the story again. So thank you "Annie" for spending time with me and sharing part of your life with me. I feel honored.