Helen, Gregory's mom, lived graciously for several years in an assisted care apartment in Battle Creek, Michigan, Tony the TIger's home town. She was in her 90's and fairly healthy but had a hard time "getting around." She used to call her son Mark, who lived nearby, every day or two and tell him, "I need to go to Walgreens. When can you pick me up?" Mark, while a good and patient and supportive son, wondered why she didn't make a list and do her shopping every couple of weeks or so and all at one time.
Today Gregory and I ran errands. We made an adventure of it in our old neighborhood on Central Street, a ten minute drive from where we live currently. First we had lunch at Prairie Joe's, our favorite diner, and while eating visited with the owners. Next we stopped at Food Stuffs, hopefully to visit with Marlene, a neighborhood friend who works there, but she had already left for the day. We bought tonight's Yom Kippur dinner from Food Stuff's deli. We proceed on to Great Harvest Bread Shop where Gregory gets his Morning Glory Health Muffins. We also bought a challah with raisins for our holiday meal and played with all the different ways the name of that Jewish bread could be pronounced. Finally we stopped at Office Depot to have two copies of my manuscript spiral bound, to laminate several dozen Michael's Museum Book Marks which I made earlier, and to purchase several reams of paper.
We arrived home looking forward to our evening coffee and remembered how my dad used to announce "Cossie Tyne" when he poured his evening coffee and his dog Sandy would come running because it was the same time she got her treats. With our folding card, which we keep in the trunk of the car, loaded we took the condo garage elevator down to the lobby, retrieved our mail, and took the tower elevator up to our unit.
While we were walking down the hall to our unit I commented to Gregory that now I understood why Helen used to call Mark every day or two for a trip to Walgreens. He agreed by saying, "Yes, it was her way of getting out." I added, "Yes, and it helped her feel that she was being productive by keeping her life in order and by running errands.
And now while I am typing this, both Gregory and I are having our Cossie.
Ah, here's to days of organic errands, unrushed, especially those errands that reconnect with neighborhood friends and acquaintances.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I meant to tell you earlier, but I love the new design of the site. Simpler and much more accessible!