travelerjim
April 7th, 2013, 01:02
Thinking over this weeks happenings,
I was saddened to learn of LTMU's current cancer battle and the life of another friend David Brendel,
who died from a long battle with cancer this Saturday morning at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya....May God rest his soul.
I also reminded myself of the days immediately before my major new hip surgery here in the USA...
as I pondered the realities that 2.5% of those who had my kind of difficult hip revision surgery died on the operating table.
There were many moments of tears and a frightened tj...here is the USA and back in Pattaya too
as I was being treated by the Bangkok Hospital Pattaya fighting a serious bacterial infection for 6 months ...
including six weeks in the Bangkok Hospital Pattaya...followed by another week in hospital + months of after care for DVT Deep vein Thrombosis which developed as well...I reviewed my final wishes with family and my Thai bf....
but thankfully, I have survived to date, thanks to fine doctors and medical care...both here in USA and in Thailand.
Life is a mystery and always challenges those who are challenged.
I give many thanks to those who have stood by me in my hours, days, months of need.
Especially my Thai companion friend of nearly 9 years, who has been there for me throughout. I am truly blessed!
I saw this photo and read the poem he wrote which was found after his death by nurses who had cared for him.
I would hope that I could say the same...but he has said it for many of us...
"Get Out & Smell the Roses, While You Can"...I recommend to my friends and practice it daily.
I invite you to read his poem... Cranky Old Man...
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/travelerjim/old.jpg
When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an Australian country town, it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.
One nurse took her copy to Melbourne. The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas editions of magazines around the country and appearing in mags for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.
And this old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.
Cranky Old Man
What do you see nurses? . . .. . .What do you see?
What are you thinking .. . when you're looking at me?
A cranky old man, . . . . . .not very wise,
Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . . .. with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food .. . ... . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . .'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . .the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . .. . . A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not . . . ... lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . .The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking?. .Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse .you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am . . . . .. As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, .. . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . .with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters .. . . .. . who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen . . . .. with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . .. . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . ..my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows .. .. .that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now . . . . .I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . .. . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . .. With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons .. .have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, .. ...Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future ... . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing .. . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man . . . . . . .. and nature is cruel.
It's jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. .. . grace and vigour, depart.
There is now a stone . . . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass . A young man still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys . . . . .. . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years, all too few . . .. gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .. . . . .. . . open and see.
Not a cranky old man .
Look closer . . . . see .. .. . .. .... . ME!!
Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within. We will all, one day, be there, too!
RIP Cranky Old Man & David Brendel...
tj
I was saddened to learn of LTMU's current cancer battle and the life of another friend David Brendel,
who died from a long battle with cancer this Saturday morning at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya....May God rest his soul.
I also reminded myself of the days immediately before my major new hip surgery here in the USA...
as I pondered the realities that 2.5% of those who had my kind of difficult hip revision surgery died on the operating table.
There were many moments of tears and a frightened tj...here is the USA and back in Pattaya too
as I was being treated by the Bangkok Hospital Pattaya fighting a serious bacterial infection for 6 months ...
including six weeks in the Bangkok Hospital Pattaya...followed by another week in hospital + months of after care for DVT Deep vein Thrombosis which developed as well...I reviewed my final wishes with family and my Thai bf....
but thankfully, I have survived to date, thanks to fine doctors and medical care...both here in USA and in Thailand.
Life is a mystery and always challenges those who are challenged.
I give many thanks to those who have stood by me in my hours, days, months of need.
Especially my Thai companion friend of nearly 9 years, who has been there for me throughout. I am truly blessed!
I saw this photo and read the poem he wrote which was found after his death by nurses who had cared for him.
I would hope that I could say the same...but he has said it for many of us...
"Get Out & Smell the Roses, While You Can"...I recommend to my friends and practice it daily.
I invite you to read his poem... Cranky Old Man...
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/travelerjim/old.jpg
When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an Australian country town, it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.
One nurse took her copy to Melbourne. The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas editions of magazines around the country and appearing in mags for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.
And this old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.
Cranky Old Man
What do you see nurses? . . .. . .What do you see?
What are you thinking .. . when you're looking at me?
A cranky old man, . . . . . .not very wise,
Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . . .. with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food .. . ... . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . .'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . .the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . .. . . A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not . . . ... lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . .The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking?. .Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse .you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am . . . . .. As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, .. . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . .with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters .. . . .. . who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen . . . .. with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . .. . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . ..my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows .. .. .that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now . . . . .I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . .. . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . .. With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons .. .have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, .. ...Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future ... . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing .. . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man . . . . . . .. and nature is cruel.
It's jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. .. . grace and vigour, depart.
There is now a stone . . . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass . A young man still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys . . . . .. . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years, all too few . . .. gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .. . . . .. . . open and see.
Not a cranky old man .
Look closer . . . . see .. .. . .. .... . ME!!
Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within. We will all, one day, be there, too!
RIP Cranky Old Man & David Brendel...
tj